This band looks as the perfect spin-off of ANNIHILATOR, because as 3/4 of the lineup is constituted by ex-members of the band led by Jeff Waters, even the record company is an old business partner of the Canadian Thrash Metal legend. But, it's much better than that, if you look at it more closely, you'll should notice that the band is a German outfit and it doesn't belong to a spontaneous generation, but in fact, it's a pretty old project and the first incarnation was founded in Berlin in 1995 under the DECEPTION moniker.

Listening to their self-titled 2nd album for the first time also strengthens the feeling and the fact, that the band isn't a bunch of beginners, but a real dangerous bunch of veterans and an experienced Thrash Metal Gang with furious riffage and a ultra-tight rhythm section (the hyper crushing and pulsating "Conquer All") composed by the amazing drummer Randy Black (PRIMAL FEAR / ex-ANNIHILATOR / ex-REBELLION) and Russell Berquist (WHITE WOLF / ex-ANNIHILATOR) on the bass, for an ultra-polished but overwhelming result with a real palpable maturity.

But what is strike the most is the perfect vocal performance of the American citizen and ex-LIEGE LORD Vocalist Joe Comeau (ex-OVERKILL / ex-ANNIHILATOR), that provides an amazing job with an impressive versatility, a great Powerful potential accurate in every style, as well in the harsh vocals ("Hands Of Fate" or "I Feel No Pain"), in the darkest "Dying In My Skin" than in the softer "My Empty Room" (a fantastic arrangement with cello and piano), or the high pitched "Dripping" and in the great tenor Testoteronic trick "Endless " and even better in the more Halfordian clean singing as closing track perfectly named "Escaping ": Full mark for his huge range and his impeccable rendition, bloody marvelous.

Musically, we aren't that far from ANNIHILATOR or contemporary VICIOUS RUMORS with some Slight ACCEPT / METAL CHURCH overtones, and it means a lot for me to use as a comparative point the name of those legendary bands.  It's Power Metal of the highest caliber with an old formula strictly played with a Thrash orthodoxy refreshed, and up-dated by some new ingredients borrowed from referential acts as BRAINSTORM / MYSTIC PROPHESY with an old school neck-wrecking riffs collection provided by the sole original member of the band the guitar player Nikolai Wurk.

This is a blunder-free flawless CD release, very surprising in his diversity but with a strong personality, and some of the best aggressive vocals in recent times: thanks to Joe Comeau and his still perfect set of pipes.

A strong contender for "Feast" by guess who?