Seattle Washington's HISSING have returned with their second full-length album titled Hypervirulence Architecture. They formed in 2015 and later that year released a demo followed by a self-titled EP. In 2016 they followed suit by releasing another demo and their second EP, which was also self-titled. Their first full length album came out in 2018 titled Permanent Destitution. The six-track effort was well received and in 2019 they kept the momentum going with another EP called Burning Door. The group has consistently released new material on a yearly basis and now the wait is over for their sophomore album.

The album starts off with a Black/Doom element with the track "Cells of Nonbeing". The song offers an introduction to the album's carnage. Zach's deep, demented growl is carried over the top of a Black metal riff with a destructive force that is paired with a deep and rumbling bass line as the vocals give way to an instrumental jam before the song finishes up. "Hostile Absurdity" features some creative guitar work that seems to have a vast amount of variations. The drums are rapidly paced snare blasts along with constant rolls. The album itself is littered with rolls that are usually following the speed blasts but stand out throughout the album by being creatively timed and paced. The track itself is hostile in its own right but follows the structure of a Black metal song without offering up much more. "Operant Extinction" is a ten plus minute marathon of riffage and chaos that carries itself well for the entirety of the track. There is very little wasted time as there is a constant production of noise to take in. The track seems like it could be the start of another song at the seven-minute mark before being summoned back to existence by the guitar. The song is a lot to take in, but it also seems to keep you engaged throughout the track and somehow left me wanting more. Really killer work by Joe on this one.

The track "Identical to Hunger" is an unholy creation that is a standout track on the album for me. The song is a brutal display by the band as they allow the notes and riffs to be played out, which does exist at times on other tracks but seems to be the idea here, allowing the listener to become more in depth with the track. The last song "Meltdown" is a battering ram of a track with a blistering pace from the drums and thudding bass as the guitar blasts through riffs. The song ends off with the final minute and half of the band jamming through with force before slowly given into the end, which is a very fitting finale to the album.

The tempo and pace to the album is impressive in its own right with very little time wasted without there being something created by the group. The songs are not reinventing the game of Black metal but are strategically formatted to keep the listener engaged and flooded with insanity. The band could easily stand its ground with the Black/Death metal that has formed one of the strongest scenes of the genre in Florida. It is a very strong sophomore effort from the group, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to be pummelled into submission.