In the shadow of the titans of the Teutonic scene, Paradox never really received the recognition they deserved, despite being active for nearly forty years. This is now very much Charly Steinhauer's band, following the passing of the only other remaining original member, Axel Blaha, in 2023, and the rest of the lineup calling it quits after the previous album.

As it turns out, Steinhauer does just fine on his own. He can still riff like a maniac ("Kholat," "Those Who Resist," "One Way Ticket to Die"), and the crisp, clear guitar tone sits front and center, right in your face. Paradox have always had a melodic flair, and I catch some Blind Guardian vibes on cuts like "Pile of Shame" and parts of the title track and "Fragrance of Violence." While the songwriting on these tracks isn't quite as sharp as on the faster, more forceful material, they don't disrupt the album's flow, and overall this is a solid release with several songs well worth a proper thrashing.