Four record labels in as many albums isn't always the most reassuring sign for a band, but no matter what happens behind the scenes you can always rely on DARKEST HOUR. "Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora" is the ninth full-length from this veteran act and they sound just as ferocious as they did when they first emerged from the underground. It isn't their finest release but it should serve as an engaging entry point for newcomers and a reassuring roar for devotees.

It's hard to pick highlights as the quality is consistently high but they score an immediate hat trick with "Knife In The Safe Room," "This Is The Truth" and "Timeless Numbers." This trio of opening songs are all classic DARKEST HOUR, mixing hefty doses of melodic Death Metal into their old-school Metalcore. There are no clean vocals and breakdowns are few and far between, the focus is purely on Scandinavian guitar riffs and vocals screamed from a damaged throat at high speed.

The closing duo of "In The Name Of Us All" and "Beneath It Sleeps" meanwhile are utterly rabid and two of the most neck-wrecking, pit-inducing ragers on offer. Taken out of context it'd be easy to mistake them for a new band, hungry for a chance at the big time rather than a group who've already secured their legacy and been making music since the Nu-Metal days. There's loads of tasty guitar solos cropping up and the drumming is fast enough to keep pace with any Thrash band you can name.

"Godless Prophets" isn't all high speed riffing though even if it can seem like that sometimes. They ease into a comfortable groove during the chorus of "The Flesh And The Flowers Of Death" and there's even a brief instrumental breather in "Widowed," but for the most part it's all about banging heads. "Those Who Survived" is another highlight, an utterly relentless beast of a song that filters Gothenburg Melodeath through an American Hardcore filter and feels like taking an uppercut from Connor MacGregor.

With CONVERGE man Kurt Ballou behind the desk, it also sounds excellent. He's a man that knows the genre inside out and has delivered a clear and crisp quality but not so shiny that it buffs the edge off. And while traditionalists might baulk at Metalcore, it's not the shiny type with mainstream appeal but a far nastier beast. DARKEST HOUR pre-date KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and their version of this occasionally divisive genre is simply a combination of Metal and Hardcore, that's all. This is a snapshot of what the scene sounded like before MTV got hold of it and another excellent addition to their growing discography.