Thrash/Death Metal quintet INCERTAIN formed in Germany in 2012. Following the release of their debut EP "My Hostage" in 2015, they present their debut full-length album here titled "Rats in Palaces," which contains ten tracks; one of which was on the debut EP. "Bring Back the Anarchy" leads off the album. It's a traditional amalgam of Death and Thrash Metal that is aggressive, heavy and fast moving, though it's not anything that you haven't heard before. Still, the band pours a lot of energy into it. "Makind's Grave" is a bit longer, sounding like something you might have heard from the early incantations of EXODUS. It's difficult to comprehend that the incensed vocals are coming from a female, as they are deep, though the harsh vocal technique isn't exclusive to men mind you. "Amok" opens with some ambient keyboard notes and acoustical guitar that build a suspenseful sound leading into the chaos that follows. The riff in this song is absolutely bossy. It sounds confident and bold to me.

The title track, "Rats in Palaces," is a bit shorter, with an old school Thrash swing, allowing the vocals to come through loud and clear. The title itself is probably a statement that royalty and people in high places are no different than you and I; there are rats in their halls as well. "Rage and Greed" is a slower song, with agonizing vocals that tear through you like the claws from a great beast. The lament is about as high as you can feel. There is also some nifty lead guitar work here as well. "Immortality" has some of that NWOBHM influence in the guitars particularly, which makes sense because most of the early Thrash/Speed Metal bands took some influence from bands like JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN. "Mask" is drop-tuned so that the lows are as low as you can imagine, with some riff changes along the way. "Searching for the truth, finding only lies" is a lyric line that can sum up the effect here.

"Pain Diet" is the six-minute closer. It again sports that pretty traditional Thrash Metal sound, and I find that the album is more Thrash than Death for the most part, though the vocals could really be fitting for either genre. To summarize, what I think they album does best, besides pummel you into headbanging submission, is present the energy of a young band looking to make some mark in the world. I have to give them credit for that, as you can hear their genuine love for their music. What I think they can improve on is finding a way to infuse more of their own creative sounds in a genre that has been done, and re-done many times since its inception. But, if you are fan of the classics, you will surely find this to your liking.