As a band that could probably be described as the heaviest to come out of Sulmona, Italy; RESUMED are likely the only Heavy Metal band to come out of Sulmona, Italy. Still, there can be no doubt that the Death Metal quartet have burst onto the scene with a punishing debut album, "Alienations."

My first time listening to the album gave me a great sense of hope that with a debut of this caliber, this band will likely become a recognizable name in the future. Citing influences of DEATH, ATHIEST, CARCASS, NECROPHAGIST, PESTILENCE, and DREAM THEATER, it's a fair assumption to think that the combination of sounds relative to those big names would sound awesome.

Starting off, I was corrected on what I thought I would be listening to. Instead of a band that sounded like it was trying too hard, my ears were given a taste of a delicious blend of Jazz-influenced Technical Death Metal. This was especially apparent in the fourth track "Predicting the Future" since the intro is a cool instrumental part that reminded me of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's signature jazzy inclusions to their music.

Primarily, I heard the progressions and drumming you would be listening for in music made by the band DEATH. The riffs were fairly simple arpeggios, and though they were heavy, they were actually fun to listen to. The double bass tempo rarely crossed into the realm of unabated blast beats, so overall, each song maintained a steady, listenable pace. The growling vocals of Daniele Presutti complimented the instruments and were actually mellow in terms of comparisons to more aggressive vocals in the same genre.

While the album cover is cartoonish, it's fitting with the theme of the album and inspired the thoughts of horror as tiny alien hands take over your brain. I have to say I am very impressed by RESUMED's first effort and hopefully as they gain exposure, they will acquire at the same time an army of fans, alien or human.