SPECIATION [noun] the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Some would say nineties Death Metal is dead. I would say they are wrong; people are holding out for the classic stalwarts of the genre to have brought through carbon copies of themselves, rather than allow bands that play into the established sound to make a name for themselves.

FACELESS BURIAL is a power trio that have been making waves within this scene. It takes serious dedication and hard work to make a dent and to say that they have done all this in a relatively small space of time is very impressive to me. Today we are looking at their second studio album "Speciation".

Even the artwork its self buys into the classic Death Metal style. But something to note for the connoisseurs out there. Artist Xavier Irvine has created this cover from an original hand painted piece, untouched by computer software. Kudos!

Instantly with "Worship" we are welcomed with a wall of ruthless riffs, blast beats and deep guttural growls. But that's not all we are to come across, with some more melodic sections, we can see the dexterity and skill of craft presented by the musicians. That stereotypical dense and intense style of playing continues through "Limbic Infirmary", with some clear softer patches that would allow the listener to catch their breath before the next frontal assault.

The energy never ceases. "Irreparably Corpsed" continues with the intensity, relentless tenacity and just overall aggression. "Speciation" sees our first deviation from the accepted way of doing things and I would draw your attention to the dictionary excerpt I placed at the top of this review. Here we are seeing part of the evolution of the Death Metal genre and it is done in FACELESS BURIAL's own personal style, this is personally my pick of the album.

"Spuming Catarrhal Gruel" and "Ravished To The Unknown" both continue with the wall of dense music assaulting the listener. It is clear that FACELESS BURIAL does not lack intensity and energy, as neither seems to wane of lessen in any way throughout the record.

Overall, it was an interesting album. I was impressed by the musicianship of all members, the clear passion for their music and just the overall finesse of the record. I think that we could be seeing more of this young up and coming group.