It's been a few years since we've heard from KRIGERE WOLF, but these Italian Black/Death/Thrash outfit are back with their new EP, "Blazing in A Purging Fire". Alone the album artwork (curtesy of Elysivm Artwork) gives us an inkling of what is to come: unrefined, dark, and war-like. Added to this is a production by Devo Andersson (ex-MARDUK), and you know that you're in for a pummelling, brief as it may be.

Following an intro which conjures imagery of a bloodstained battlefield, where carrion crows reign in the swirling mist and howling wind, this spitfire EP delivers four short, bombastic songs. Starting off with the eponymous "Blazing in A Purging Fire", dirty thrashy-sounding guitars and cymbals lead the way for equally murky maelstrom of melody. A solo done in the Egyptian scale gives the song a brief flare of intricate lightness, before leading us back into the onslaught. Groovy bass lines and a change of pace lends the song even more facets, making this quite the opener to the EP. In comparison to this, "Under the Rays of the Black Sun" is faster and wilder, with just a hint of insanity thrown in, and letting Black/Thrash elements come to the fore. A slower, groovier section near the end gives a small respite before launching us back into the neck-breaking Thrashier tempo. "Shall the Absence of God be Blessed" on the other hand has a more of a sleazy Black'n'Roll feel to it that immediately gets your foot tapping along to the beat. This however takes a darker and more oppressive turn, before soaring back into one final frenzy. Finally, "Wolves in the Throne of Death" takes the pace down a notch. But make no mistakes: this makes it no less of a pounding. Strong bass lines, tight drumming, evil guitar riffs, and gravelly rasped vocals give this song a ferocious wickedness which the faster songs can't match.

Overall, we have a short blitzkrieg of a release, delivering a barrage of four varied and well-written songs. "Blazing in A Purging Fire" might not be the most original release - it follows formulas we've heard a thousand times before. But then again, that's not a bad thing. KRIGERE WOLF take the best elements from Black, Death, and Thrash, and combine them into a thumping assault, which I can only imagine would be absolutely killer live. "Blazing in A Purging Fire" is dirty, loud, ferocious, and oh so fun!