Fifteen years is a long time, a lot changes in fifteen years. In fact, the whole damn world has changed in fifteen years. Music has changed drastically in fifteen years. I think it was about fifteen years ago that Nu-Metal was turning an entire generation onto Metal and getting us ready for things to come. It is bizarre to think that at the same time that Fred Durst was getting unbelievably famous, EMBLAZONED were just starting to break into the world of music. It is refreshing to see the difference between the two now, fifteen years later. Whilst Fred may have had fame and fortune for all of ten minutes, EMBLAZONED have ridden far on their wave and are here now, fifteen years on and if anything, sounding even better than before.

With the release of their latest album EMBLAZONED have demonstrated that truly good music and talent far outshine any flash in the pan bollocks and that this is exactly the reason they are still making music whilst so many other are scratching a living from what they can. The album itself is a much more polished offering than those that came before and their light Blackening of Death Metal is sounding more refined than ever. I love both Death and Black Metal and when the two are combined so well, it just makes me ever so slightly moist. EMBLAZONED strike the perfect balance.

The right combination is definitely the Death vocals and a smattering of Blackened guitars. They hit this mixture perfectly and the vocal work by Jeff Plewa is phenomenal. His deep, bowel wrenching roars are audible and never seem to get muddied up by a soggy throat (which I all too common these days). On the other hand, his highs are genuine and lack any of that comic value that poorly done high vocals can have. The guitar work is excellent, not overly complicated but still interesting enough to keep your attention throughout the album. The tremolos are clear and the big fat bastard riffs and deep and rhythmic. All of this is backed up by some fantastic drumming and bass work. I think my favourite moment on the whole album is in the penultimate song "Iniquitous". The bass has reign throughout the song anyway but the brief breaks for a couple of  harmonics just made me wants to scream like a pre-pubescent girl.  Fuck chuggy riffs on zeroes and ones, this is how you do a breakdown.

This has won it place in my top ten Death Metal album list for this year and has reminded me graciously that for every generic turd the musical machine farts out, there is a band like EMBLAZONED that are just hiding around the corner.