German metalcore band SLAVES OF KALI put out a killer debut album with the release of 11-track "Uncharted Trails."

They kick off this album on a fast, heavy note with their song "Shelter Will Burn." I could tell immediately I was going to enjoy this one. This is exactly how I like my metalcore.

I was really pleased when the band slowed things down and switched things up a bit for the beginning of the third song, then immediately disappointed when I realized it was only an interlude. But it's OK, because they followed it with my favorite song on the album. "Tripping in Trenches," for which the band released their first official music video, is such a cool song. I love the main riff and the melody.

The bass solo in "Expectations" is super cool. I don't feel like we get enough of those. Another song I really love on this album is "Time to Disgust." It starts slow and melodic, which is a nice change of pace, but it's still dark. I must say it's pretty awesome to have three songs in a row that are all bangers.

"Tides" is an interlude with strange psychedelic jungle vibes, including ocean sounds, which is a little bit confusing for the tone of the overall album even if the previous song is titled "Beach." If you've ever read one of my reviews, you know I'm not the biggest fan of interludes as most of the time they seem kind of like pointless filler - and this album has THREE. That's right, even the last song "Ascend" is an outro, which is essentially just like an interlude. It really bothered me that they ended the album like this, but it doesn't ruin it for me still. They busted out some great songs.

The vocal style Konrad Meyenberg uses reminds me a lot of Jamey Jasta from HATEBREED and is packed with a ton of aggression. That being said, Meyenberg doesn't do a lot of things different with his vocals throughout the album. He tends to stick with the same screaming style, which isn't bad, but can get repetitive if one likes a lot of variety.

Overall, I had fun listening to this album and I think this band could do some great things in the world of metalcore if they keep making music together.