Now, I'm a guitar player and I don't mind showing off what little I do know. However, I don't think when it comes to practice and scales - I could ever hope to achieve the mindset it would take to get to the almost insane technical level of bands like ALTERBEAST. Then again, the bands original name had been GARY BUSEY AMBER ALERT, so maybe I'm not all that surprised by the insanity presented by these harsh Californian Death Metal tyrants.

Whereas bands like GIGAN would be considered in the intelligent and experimental realm of Technical Death Metal - bands like ALTERBEAST are their lumbering and thunderous brothers.  Don't get me wrong, this is low-end and dark but it isn't Djent. ALTERBEAST knows what they are doing and pretty much hope that, in the end, at least one person will channel their intensity in order to spark some massive insurmountable moshpit. No doubt the album was called "Immortal" because you'd most likely have to be one in order to survive until the aftermath of their album. Afterwards, all that 'heavy' stuff you've listened to just sounds like offshoots of DISTURBED.

And I know, I'm being a little dramatic here but really, ALTERBEAST encompasses all of that. Not only is there a incredibly talented force behind the musical arrangements and shred work here, but the vocals possess a genuine intensity that suggests that certain doom is certainly going to befall you. Seriously, listen to this album on the highest possible volume - tell me if you ever come back the same again. Or, if you want to test the waters - listen to the track "Ancients Retribution" on max, just once and you'll be hooked.