Using elements of Thrash Metal and Death metal SCYTHIAN combine two massive forces to create a music type which focusses on the theme of war which when put together creates a monster of a band that has a lot to show the world. The band returned, originating in London England, SCYTHIAN started their carrier in two thousand and seven with their first demo entitled "Suffering to be Conquered" which of course led to the band's first studio record entitled "To Those Who Stand Against Us..." in 2009. After a two year gap the band returned with a split with the band KAWIR entitled "Grunwald / Τιτανομαχία". This now leads us to the band's latest record, "Hubris in Excelsis".

"Beyond the Dust":

From the start of the track we get an acoustic intro led by chanting of a kind, through this we see the band building up to something big as we now enter into the first riff off of this song which really goes very smoothly and mixes very well with the acoustic, they complement each other very well while keeping in time with both the drums and the bass creating a very vibrant tone, which now leads us into the tone of the band in general. I won't lie when I say I love what I'm hearing here folks, what we have here is a fast and intense journey into a band that is giving it their all with this one song as first hand proof, it's aggressive and yet very melodic at the same time mixing in a kind of Nile like sound as there are influences found right in this song and honestly it's incredible to see a band like this. I can really say for a fact that this is something I have come to love and can't get enough of.

"Hubris in Excelsis":

We come to the second track and title track off of this record. From the very start we get dragged into this tormented sounding pulse of sound which without fail continues to beat my head in with just how drummer J.C. Volgard is just bringing it hard with his incredible skill behind the skins of his drum kit, this guy is just nuts and really I find his way of playing to be a great mixture of thrash and Death making this one of the better Thrash death bands that I have really reviewed since being in Metal-Temple. The track holds some really interesting surprises in respects to the guitars and the vocals bringing this melodic yet vibrant tone that really stands out and shows what it is made of, really though the mix on this track is perfect and over flows with vicious yet beautiful ideas jammed together in creating this monster.

"Apocalyptic Visions":

What I really love so far about this record is the use of instrumental pieces that these guys have used in creating this record, its different compared to your normal extreme sounds and structure but fuck! Does it work really well and shows just what it is capable of by mixing so perfectly with the full sound of the band? I really admire this song as it has a lot of emotion mixed together with a genuine curiosity to experiment in terms of the bands playing and sound, it goes to show that there are bands that are breaking the norm and are branching out in the right ways to create something different but incredible at the same time. Massive props to vocalist, bassist Vrath, your vocals on this record are just perfect, they have a nice balance of classic Death metal mixed with your own style which really can be easily seen, I really feel that in Death Metal today there are not enough people like this guy, when I hear this it sounds like I'm listening to old school MASSACRE or DEATH, really a rare vocalist to find.

"As Tyrants Feast":

From start to finish we see SCYTHIAN take it to a new level of sound with some incredible riffs and brilliant chorus lines like nothing I have ever had the pleasure of listening to, this is by far one of the more epic tracks on this record and can be found with some deep and powerful chants mixed with an incredible array of riffs and drum beats tied together with massive bass lines and vocals that really crush hard without fail to destroy their set target. Honestly this band keep on impressing me with how they have written and recorded this record, it mixed speed and death with an epic twist that really works perfectly together, it's weird yea but in a good way that can be appreciated and found to be a whole new level of brilliance, I really am enjoying what I'm hearing here folks just because it has something that not a lot of bands have and that is what I feel gives this record even more boom for your buck folks.

"Penultimate truth Ultimate Deceit":

Starting with another incredible instrumental we see the band take a more epic turn for this intro and honestly it is just brilliant, it takes some elements from previous songs while mixing in some new speed to take this unknown journey further and deeper. Once again we see Vrath bring it hard with his old school inspired vocals mixing in with the bands massive wall of sound. Honestly what we see here ladies and gentlemen is the result of hard work and dedication at its best and really I am blown away by what I am hearing here folks, a mixture of so many different sounds clashing together to create something so large in form yet so detailed that what we get is the solid result of a band that has succeeded in creating a brutal piece of musical mastery.

"The Laws...":

We start with a chanting which leads the pulse of the song with a straight and even drum beat leading us into the song, in a sense the opening to this song could be called the mind and the heart as it feels like a mental image is being painted right before us while the beat of someone's heart pulses faster and faster until we finally reach the crack in the mentality of this being, from what I have seen so far with this band I have seen an evolution in both sound and structure creating a very different yet very addictive tone to which I can't stop listening to, this song is no different folks. We see that the band has brought something original with this track by making any influence that they've had their own and that really is the key to what a band should be, taking what was and making it into what is. The track is fast yet progressive at the same time show casing the bands strengths in their best light, giving examples of their creativity while at the same time remaining to keep it solid and to the records beat.

"Three Stigmata":

A marching beat is the tone of what we enter into when facing those branded with the "Three Stigmata". The track has a nice and slow beat mixed with some very groovy riffs backing up what already is a vicious opening tone to an already vicious named song and that is just what I like about this song already. In a sense though this song goes deeper and deeper into madness as it were as we see a pattern of mental destruction mixed with a crushing force of guitars and bass that crack the rifts of the norm and bringing out the inner evil that lies beneath, I really feel what this song is doing and I love where it's going as well. This has to literally be a beast as there is something to this song that goes further and further into this madness that could might as well be a beast preparing to roar and destroy the listener.

"War Graves (Dulce et Decorum Est...)":

For the title I feel that the opening suits this track very well, a tribute in a sense to those fallen while at the same time keeping this mystic vibe flowing through it which is something I've come to admire about this bands writing style, it's a nice mixture of fantasy or medieval mixed with a large and powerful sound that mixes so very well with this song. I will say that this is one of my top three on this record just because there is something different about this one, it's not really a song rather then it is a speech with age and wrath mixed into the old man's voice to which feels as if the band thought this would be a setting point for the record giving the fans something different and something that you do not see on any other releases, something that stands out while keeping your mind in tune with it.

"Dystopia":

We now unfortunately come to the records end with "Dystopia". As the track opens we are welcomed by a wall of sound that shows just what this band is, power, legend, wrath, mayhem, genius and of course and adventure to which to discover. As it is the final track we of course get everything from the band, a force of sound that beats the listener down and continues to demonstrate its power, this track is the bands rage and melody as a whole bringing forth the reckoning of something that will not rest.

So to conclude, all I have to say is that this has to be one of the best records I have had the pleasure of reviewing, it has everything that you would want, incredible riffs, powerful vocals and drums that rips the flesh off of your face in one go, this is a well-mixed and recorded record that holds some of the most unique songs that I have ever had the chance of listening to, it has what you wouldn't expect while at the same time keeping you on the edge of your seat to see what happens, and that is why I feel this band deserves this ten out of ten.