Brutal? Check. Technical? Check. Heavy? Check. Downingtown, PA's FISTHAMMER pull out all the stops on "Infallible," the band's third official release since forming in 2008. FISTHAMMER plow through ten tracks of ferocious Death Metal with hardly any let-up from beginning to end.

"Arithmos Tou Thēriou" opens to the sound of an ominous acoustic guitar over Max Svalgård's distant shouts. This builds up to an infernal death march of riffing before the band switches gears into a full-on assault. The song's alternating growling vocals, stop-start riffs, and merciless drumming make for a mix that's as positively evil-sounding as it is catchy, before descending into its doomy climax and acoustic fade-out. While the opener is more musically varied in its approach, songs like "Evoking the Wrath of the Revenants" and "Temple of Poseidon" are about as subtle as an axe to the face, with the band blasting through each track seemingly with ease. The latter track highlights many of the band's strengths, including Danny Piselli's machine-like drumming, John McCarthy's twisting bass lines, and Svalgård's muscular yet creative riffing. The production on the album is superb, allowing each instrument to be enjoyed to the fullest. The band's breakdowns are also strong, never falling into the dullness that plagues many a Death Metal/Deathcore band.

The influences of bands such as BEHEMOTH and, in particular, DYING FETUS can be heard throughout the album, especially on the sinister "Dismal Inveracity," as well as the crushing "Automation of Flesh." While the album's tone is decidedly dark and brutal, the band keeps a good melodic awareness throughout, and the sheer amount of quality leads and riffs keeps things constantly entertaining. The epic "Doom Of The Gods Part 2: Nidhoggr Winged Serpent Of Hel" is one of the more multi-faceted tracks here, drawing equally from the creative pools of Technical Death Metal and Black Metal to great effect.

"Interlude," as one might expect, is a mellow instrumental number, the only real moment of respite from the rest of the album's sonic chaos. Unsurprisingly, the vicious following track "The Coven" sees the band thrashing ahead with renewed vigor, with the continued and skilled employment of sudden tempo changes and complex riffing. "Thousand Yard Stare" is another powerful slab of Metal, with riff after malicious riff pummeling the listener into submission before closing with a great, sludgy, grinding breakdown. The album finishes with "Conjuration Of The Fire God," an absolute monster of a track and a fitting conclusion to the album, shifting tempos seamlessly while never losing any momentum.

"Infallible" is a great album for fans of dark, technical Death Metal. There is no shortage of creativity in the band's musicianship, which is fantastic throughout. Each of these blistering, intricate tracks has its share of memorable moments, with absolutely no filler at all. It's certainly one of the most entertaining, if not ground breaking, albums I've heard in a while.