My first impression: Holy shit!

"Coronation" is how the third full-length album "Axiom" from INFERNAL WAR starts off, and it is a blistering greeting with the assumption that faces were melted off during recording. The quintet from Poland seem unapologetic in their approach to how much they want their music to punch through your skull and then bomb the fuck out of your grave. INFERNAL WAR have been active since 1997 (known to some as INFERNAL SS) and though this is only their third studio album, they have put forth numerous EPs, split records, and compilations throughout their career. Their lyrical and sonic focus is as much on evil, anti-religion, and conflict as other traditional Black Metal bands, though there is a pronounced Death Metal influence on their sound. This is a forty-two minute pummeling of the senses that the term violent seems to fall short of describing.

That being said, the monumentally destructive energy that is wrought by this band is matched only by their technical abilities and skill and their respective instruments. The furious pace and tempo changes are met with precision and no note of the guitars and vocals nor beat of the drum is missed. I get the sense that it was only with massive amounts of practice and rehearsal was their accuracy achieved.

The killer vocals incite an aggression that can only be satiated by hostility and pain. Despite being Polish and there being no clean singing whatsoever, the words actually come through the speakers quite audibly and are distinguishable. I believe that perhaps it was intended for their message to be understood and followed since there is an obvious theme to this band's song titles and lyrics. Best of all, Warcrimer does not seems to be forcing the screams and harshness, as if f it was natural.

INFERNAL WAR label themselves as Black Metal and I suppose that is true, but I cannot help but hear influences of their Polish Death Metal counterparts in VADER.  And if not for the drummer being named Stormblast, I would not have that much of a clue to DIMMU BORGIR being in their list of bands they like. Regardless, "Axiom" is a more mature version of the band's sound and is one that fans of almost any Metal subgenre could enjoy!