Whether you're a rabid extreme metal pre-pube or a minivan-driving old fart seeking that earsplitting rush of death metal first experienced back in '91, the HOB dudes are here to save y'all.

Fans of classic OBITUARY will take to HOB like a fish to water. Tired as we've become of the whole 'supergroup' concept, this band combines the strengths of vets from THANATOS, GOREFEST, ASPHYX, and BOLT THROWER to concoct a first-rate horn-throwing experience. Martin van Drunen's sandpaper vocals charge tirelessly through a series of quality tracks, serving to remind you of all the reasons you liked this stuff in the first place. "General Winter" is just flattening, rattling through breakneck tempos, lurching into tarpit-like slowdowns, and eventually erupting into violence all over again. "Red Wolves of Stalin" is another gem, the riff tones and jackhammery drum patterns remarkably similar to classic Earache Floridian stuff, but HOB shows a tendency to skip the mathy bridges and high-powered solos of the masters in favor of slow-tempo dirges and torturous screams from van Drunen. It's a winner from front to back; a disc you'll keep with you all summer long. Shit, maybe we should go back to reviewing Metal Blade's other stuff. Nah, just kidding.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.hailofbullets.com

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.