Boy, did I ever get the luck of the draw this week! "Psychopathy", the new full-length from Technical Thrash Metal outfit NO AMNESTY, is the first of two absolutely fantastic albums I have had the honour of hearing and reviewing this time around.

I'll come straight out of the gate and say it: this is an unbelievable piece of artistry that smashes everything that dares to stand in its way. From its ominous intro to its bittersweet end, "Psychopathy" is everything one could hope for (and so much more) when one longs to stumble upon that perfect Metal album that challenges the genre without overstepping its boundaries. In short, this one is a bonafide masterpiece.

"NOTLD", the opening track on this oh, so powerful record, doesn't waste time as it stabs straight in the heart with nearly instantaneous masterful riffing and punishment of the double bass pedals. Vocalist Albert enters swiftly after a few bars, sounding like Rob Halford after a rage-fuelled meth binge. This statement might come off as a little off kilter to many of you reading out there, but I mean it only in the most endearing, admirable way. Never have I heard vocals so original, varying, and talented as I did when I took NO AMNESTY's "Psychopathy" for the first of many test spins. The musical accompaniment to these phenomenal pipes is equally as mesmerizing, creating the perfect mixture of song and melody track after track.

The next few tracks, as they scorch through the listener's ears, display such diversity and talent that it's hard to believe that they were created by mere human beings. "Among The Blind" and "Evil Priest" - which appear back to back as tracks two and three - both contain some earth shattering guitar solos that are sure to twist and bend the minds of anyone and everyone who knows top-tier playing when they hear it. The musical stylings switch and swerve constantly, creating a sort of hypnosis that envelops the listener completely. NO AMNESTY develops an aural landscape that takes you in at once and sets you free within this new world, exploring all of its hills, plains, caverns, shores and forests that seem to sprout anew beneath your feet at nearly every step. It is a place that I, for one, never want to leave.

Influences from all across the board can be heard here, including (but not limited to) IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ANTHRAX, FAITH NO MORE, and even a fleeting splash of MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE in a few spots. Rather than just blatantly copying the aforementioned artists, the band expand and build upon the foundations they created, always adding their own sensibilities and interpretations, thus giving us all something new and different from what once was. The entire album carries on this way until its end, which is quite an end indeed. "Time To Bleed" proves to be a raging and intense finishing track to the "Psychopathy" record - and is the perfect final explosion in this war against the monotony and normality of everyday life.

When an album rips as hard as this one does, it is easy to get carried away and essentially spoil its contents for those who haven't had a chance to hear it for themselves just yet. Instead of committing a crime such as this, I will merely say that missing out on this one would be a seriously grave mistake. This album is stupendous, technically astounding, and a gift from the Metal Gods that keeps on giving without showing an inkling of an intention to stop doing so. Do yourself a solid, and get lost in the majesty that is "Psychopathy" by Metal virtuosos NO AMNESTY!