Aussie Death Metal warriors DESCENT have been around since 2015. Towers of Grandiosity come out galloping on a thousand hell steeds with steel hooves. Not much is known about these Death Metallers from Brisbane but when you find them, sit down and listen to what they have to say, they make it well known that they have a lot to say, and they make a point to do so aggressively. Choruses and instrumentals collide and tumble inside a furious whirlwind that seeks to level all in its wake. Between Anthony Oliver's hard-hearted screams and Kinglsey Sugden's thunderous drums, DESCENT makes Towers of Grandiosity is a seething debut.

The eerie screech of dissonant strings in the opening of "Stain" sets the stage for some insidious sound dealings. Just when you think you're going to hear the heaviest that DESCENT has to offer, "Skinwalker" sneaks up behind you and smashes your face in with a club, screaming wildly. Epileptic pummeling of a drum kit pair perfectly with the messy fretwork of Brendan Auld and Josh Kane. This mad carnival of violent dissonance isn't through yet. "Confined" and "Foundation of Sand" are both brutal cymbal-strewn wastelands where even the strongest of eardrums are either left for dead or forced to survive in an unforgiving terrain. DESCENT incorporates hallmark Death Metal traits like zombified vocals and unignorable blast beats and a healthy pinch of roiling bass that bubbles and seethes in the background of each track. "Sic Inferius" and "Hindsight" have that perfect, unclean discord style that Death perfects, unholy and intimidating in their forms.

DESCENT has come a long way since their self-titled demo. Anthony Oliver solidifies his vocal technique while Brendan Auld and Josh Kane strengthen their guitar game on Towers of Grandiosity. It is a seriously wicked beast of an album!Overall: 8