Technicality, great mixing quality, vicious-but-eligible vocals and thoughtful arrangement are all qualities I look for in my preferences for extreme metal. MASTIC SCUM from Austria have recently released a titanic piece, "C T R L" with influences from technical and Melodic Death Metal, as well as grind and the odd, subtle, progressive touch.

The opening track, "Controlled Collapse" pulls not a single a punch in its aggressive, rumbling assault. Thick, heavy walls of sound created by furious blast beats are crumbled and rebuilt again by masterfully technical riff assaults, and vocalist Maggo brings the best from both the worlds of Death Metal and Grindcore; I have yet to heard a vocalist that can effectively switch between intelligible Death growls, and (heard later) intense squeals. Already it is clear that each of the band members are exceptionally well-versed in deploying the assault of their instruments. "Cause and Effect" is a uniquely effective song that incorporates melody, brutality and a specially syncopated groove into its ridiculously heavy riffs, which are clearly the mainstay of this track; one that is able to engage the listener's mind into enjoying individual riffs, rather than losing themselves in the inevitable brutality of walls of death.

"D1s3mb0d1m3nt" has leanings closer towards progressive Death Metal with unusually structured rhythm arrangements which end up dominating the majority of the track, and quite veritably ends up as the heaviest track on the record; that is by no means an easy title to give away in this context. "Perceptive Illusion" is another unique piece for its inclusion of Thrash and groove influences in the riff arrangements; I even here the inevitable grind subtly creeping its way in, causing the track to end up as definitely one of the more bombastic and unpredictable tracks on the record.

Upon this first listening to MASTIC SCUM, I was left thoroughly impressed with my discovery, since they bring something new to the blood-soaked, goat-head-laden table of extreme Metal that manages to combine grind's infamous erratic walls of sound, with the technical precision of Death Metal.