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I'm not sure if this is a debut from Wetwork or not, as they list two previous discs but don't say if they are demos or what. Anyway, this is a debut of sorts for Krankenhaus Records, founded and run by David Gold, genius in residence behind the iconoclastic Woods Of Ypres. This is the first CD released by his label that is not a Woods Of Ypres album, so this is a kind of landmark in that respect. And the news is all good, because this is a very, very good CD.

Wetwork play a speedy, technical variety of Death Metal that should be familiar to followers of the Canadian scene. A bit of Vital Remains, a bit of old Deicide and Morbid Angel. What Wetwork do is not much different from what a lot of other bands do, but they just do it better. This is technical, but not so much that the songs lack cohesion, it's melodic, but not to the point of sounding like Arch Enemy. I would like it if the guitar tone were heavier, as it is just a tad restrained. But the songwriting is sharp, and the songs are varied enough that you never get bored. I spun this thing twice in a row the first time I listened to it, and I don't find myself doing that very often these days. Wetwork are not groundbreaking, they just play good, aggressive Death Metal with mega time changes and breakdowns, throw in a double fistful of riffs and you have a winner. I like the vocals here a lot too. Kristen "Doc" Parker is not just some gimmick, and she has a good, raspy growl that sounds a heck of a lot like God Dethroned's Serpent King from the old days. She has real charisma, and adds just the right kick to already-killer tracks like "Heaven's Advocate" and the awesome "Nature Of Repention".

This is some lean, mean old-school Death Metal with a lot more going for it than just brutality. Wetwork have punched out a killer disc that I know is going to spend a while in my CD player, and even on a small label I have high hopes that this band can make some waves. "Synod" is an album not to miss.