Ohio grinders DOMESTIC TERROR, in a radical departure from the humour-injected noisegrind featured on their 2012 debut U.S.AIDS, return with a crushingly violent deathgrind with very subtle commentary about our culture's obsession with violence and gore - ironic or not? You decide!

After a perhaps unnecessary intro track (I always think these should be used sparingly and intelligently, otherwise it kinda feels lazy) "Heavily Sedated" kicks in (more like, kicks the door in!) and we have a good first impression of what these gents are all about - brutalising deathy, grindy, relentless brutalisation with no rest. Who wants rest anyway? You want rest? Go some place else! "Primitive Interrogation Techniques" kicks in next, opening with Dennis Hopper's infamous "Let's f***..." outburst from Blue Velvet. Appropriate really, the dial is turned straight up to eleven and never really dials down until the album runs dry. Some grumbly-rumbly bass is audible near the start, giving the listener just the right tone to zero in on so that it's audible from here on out and a nice focal point for listening - smart really!

Track three, "Temple Of Lashes", is the aural equivalent of being punched in the face over and over again - relentless and consistent chugging of guitars and drums, paired with Jordan's howls deals a real sock and awe assault. "Drugged And Abducted" commences with a blasting section reminiscent of the finest moments of death metal titans like CANNIBAL CORPSE or SUFFOCATION. Short but sweet, this track functions as a kind of musical study in the genre, demonstrating beyond any doubt their competence.

"In Favour Of Public Execution", another short but sweet offering, combines lyrical matter and musical feel into the ultimate cathartic piece - it speaks to the gut reaction we all have when considering especially heinous crimes and what we imagine to be 'just' punishment. "American Snuff" is a kind of deathgrind equivalent of a torture-porn horror movie (think Saw or Hostel etc.) One is quite simply a translation of the other - don't believe me? Take a listen for yourself! We close with "Seraphim Ablaze", performing the role of a kind of summing up everything we've been assaulted with so far.

Overall this is a very strong offering, and represents no small amount of maturation on the part of these gents. We have come a long way musically and lyrically from such DOMESTIC TERROR oldies as "Penis Butter And Jelly"... not sure I need to say any more! In all seriousness, this is a very strong record and is a welcome addition to the relatively niche, but nonetheless well-populated, deathgrind genre.