From the depths of Poland came AHRET DEV, a Brutal Death Metal act with a technical edge. Forming in the early 1990s as WENETIS, the band went on to release their debut and only full-length, "Hellish," in 1997. Sparking influence from CRYPTOPSY and DERANGED, this album is an unknown classic in the realm of Brutal Death Metal.

Early brutality is a road less traveled by most, as many find consolation in SUFFOCATION or CRYPTOPSY without bothering to go further into the rabbit hole. Not many know, but Ahret Dev was one of the first Polish Brutal Death Metal bands to release a full-length, making them a staple in the local scene at the time.

As far as the band's music goes, they have some very mean chops of heaviness. Starting with "Izis Ode," the guitars set a technical foundation for brutal riffs to reign. The song flows smoothly through each segment with graceful, careful songwriting yet punishing delivery.

This same style is used effectively throughout the entire album. Each song has minimal repetition, yet this is not a negative aspect, because it gives each song more momentum. Every track progresses without halting for a break and without breaking the flow. "Lords of Illusion" is a prime example of this concept, with passages and dizzying riffs intertwined into every turn.

With each track exhibiting a similar structure, the songs definitely blend together. The memorability aspect is very low on this album, save a few stand-out moments and identifiable characteristics here and there. Regardless, the album reaches a point where the riffs are all sounding the same. This isn't a bad thing, but it's not very good either. Compared to other bands in the genre, Ahret Dev is fairly memorable, but it still oftentimes falls victim to lacking identity.

One field I would give Ahret Dev a lot of points in is originality. While by today's standards, this is in no way original, for 1997, these riffs must have been fresh. There were predecessors like CRYPTOPSY that sounded very similar, but overall, this sound is almost like an early form of GORGASM or pre-"Driven to Conquer" INTERNAL BLEEDING.

Consistency is very present on this record. Each track has a similar mindset, the album shows the same level of skill throughout and there is never a lull in the grooves and blasts outside of the brief silence between each track. This is a good album, and the production is surprisingly clean for a Brutal Death Metal band from the late 1990s. At just 26 minutes long, it's also an album that can easily be put on repeat.