2015 marks the return of Argentinian Death Metal crew PRION, whose music last rained torment upon the mortal realm in 2008. Now seven years older and wiser, the group return with renewed focus and plenty of brutality on their latest release, "Uncertain Process."

Let's not beat around the bush here. The bar for Death Metal musicians is higher than ever before, with speed and instrumental prowess amplified to fearsome new heights. Of course, more notes more quickly does not better music make (at least not necessarily), but the guys in PRION have more than enough songwriting chops to back up their formidable playing skills. A more straightforward record than its predecessor, 2008's "Impressions," "Uncertain Process" nevertheless impresses by never being too predictable. Songs like "Power Obsessed," "Chronic Desease," and "End Is Near" offer the dedicated Death-head that jackhammer absolution we all crave, with the band's chaotic rhythms and challenging, amelodic riffs bringing to mind bands like HATE ETERNAL and DISKORD (and even a little GIGAN), though the band offer more than just crazy songs that are fun to headbang to.

Sonically, the album feels tiring to get through; not because it's not good, but because it is so intense the whole way through. Even during the slower parts, the band's thick guitar crunch and thundering drums cloud the senses, and there isn't much in the way of melody either. "Losing Itself in the Infinite" disorients and destroys with inhuman efficiency, while "Anhedonist" lurches forward with a cold indifference in its sound. The guitar lead that closes out the latter song sounds almost like the guitar itself is worn and powerless; it's kind of like a respite, but also like a reminder that there is no escape from the band's musical onslaught. The final song on the album is a cover of a song called "Never Let Me Down Again" by DEPECHE MODE... which I would have never guessed without looking it up online. While it doesn't prove to be anything more than a reminder that every song doesn't need to have a Metal cover version, it is still executed well, and shows the band's confidence in playing music they love.

It's funny how some bands attain quasi-legendary status in the underground with very little recorded work while others are largely ignored. While they may not have the same catalogue or name-recognition as some peers, PRION, who formed in 1994, are right up there in the upper-tier with groups like HATE ETERNAL, ORIGIN, KRONOS, and other purveyors of memorable, brutal Death Metal. "Uncertain Process" is immensely satisfying in its unrestrained ferocity, a real treat for fans of any of the aforementioned bands and Death Metal in general.