New Caledonia's GAUTAMA, formed in 2008, and released their debut "All Is Silence" upon the world in late 2013. Haven't heard of them? Well, if you've got a taste for punishingly heavy Thrash and/or Death Metal, this is just the album for you. These guys absolutely rip.

With its chunky riffs, and raw, dirty production, "All Is Silence" gives off the vibe of some kind of early-nineties cult-classic Thrash/Death album, but with a mature, modern sensibility. The most striking musical element in the band's versatile arsenal is the voice of Cloé Soriano. All I can say is, "Wow." It's not even because she is a female that her performance is impressive, in a very male-dominated genre, but she has a huge presence in the band's sound, and there are scores of male vocalists that couldn't do these tunes justice the way Soriano does. Her harsh vocals are impeccable, giving the songs an EXHORDER-meets-EYEHATEGOD feel with their sheer venom and aggression, and they take center stage on blistering offerings like "Delirium", the frothing mad "At The Gates", and "Ebony". The latter song exhibits the band's strengths as well as any, from the furious rampage that encompasses the first half of the song to the palm-muted riff breakdowns that follow.

While all of the songs here pack a huge punch, one track that absolutely bears mentioning is "Shanti Land". The exotic clean guitar parts and the fantastic clean-sung parts give the song a majestic quality to it, and the transition to the heavier section that closes it out is nothing short of gripping. One of the album's strongest points is its variety, and this song is where it really shines. "Dharma" is another standout track, alternating between sinister, sometimes pinch harmonic-accented riffs and blast beat-propelled assaults. The album culminates with the nearly ten-minute title track, and while it is not as outwardly vicious and abrasive as the songs that precede it, it is only slight less so, and the riffs are strong enough that it doesn't feel as lengthy as it really is.

They may not have the name recognition of similar bands of their ilk, but GAUTAMA has crafted a real gem in "All Is Silence". I would argue that it stands up favorably compared to classic works by similar artists like DEMOLITION HAMMER, RIPPING CORPSE, SADUS and the like, and doesn't sound dated at all. "All Is Silence" is an uncompromisingly heavy, dark, and diverse album. It's one of the best albums I've heard all year, and I would highly recommend it to fans of extreme Metal.<