French band OBDURATED's third full-length (and first international) release "I Feel Nothing" is a dark, impressive album that combines the speed and aggression of Thrash with the musicality and tone of Death Metal. There is intensity in abundance, and more than plenty great individual moments to be had throughout.

"Nomophobia" and "Strive" are about as strong a 1-2 punch to start of an album with as any, carried by their powerful, crushing riffs and electrifying leads. Guitarists Dominique and Oliver drive the music with melodic, precise, and brutal riffs backed by Dany's furious drumming. These two songs are great examples of this, with their super memorable lead rhythms, modern approaches, and moments of inspired rage. Cédric's vocal performance is impressive as well as being important to the album's overall sound. His powerful growls and yells give the band a great, raw, angry vibe that mixes well with the intensity of the music.

Third track "Hoax" continues this trend with an opening main riff that has a TESTAMENT kind of feel to it before erupting into an absolute clinic on brutality. "Wisest" brings the velocity down a notch, but what it lacks in speed is made up for in attitude, as the band continues to thrash ahead even more furiously than before. The riffs in these songs are even more varied than in the first, as can be heard from their use of tempo changes somewhat dissonant chords in addition to more common melodies. "Unreason" is another strong track, with its memorable lead melody and driving, machine-gun drumming that keep things interesting as the album reaches its midpoint.

"Haeven", a soaring, up-tempo instrumental piece, is a bit of a departure from the rest of the songs, retaining only the vibrant lead playing of the previous songs, but is no less impressive. It then gives way to "Dereliction", another competent rager, followed by the even more impressive "Unhealthy", which features a refreshing mix of tempo changes, heavy riffs, flowing melodies, and the odd synth part here and there. Stylistically, OBDURATED do not stray too far from their established formula, but they manage to keep things interesting the whole way through with plenty of fresh ideas on a song-to-song basis. "Dishearten" is another standout track, with its emotive leads and relentless, pounding drums providing some of the best musical moments on the album. It is followed by the sprawling "Forefathers", whose chugging riffs and intricate melodies steadily drive things along as things finally draw to a close.

OBDURATED's "I Feel Nothing" is a strong combination of Thrash, Death, and Modern Metal sensibilities. There is little inessential material present at all. The record has a ton of attitude, as well as the chops to back it up. This album is catchy, melodic and brutal, and comes highly recommended to fans of Thrash and Death Metal.