THANATOS: arguably the CANNIBAL CORPSE of the rich Dutch Death Metal scene, and the first pioneers of the genre in their country. With a rich history with more than a fair share of ups and downs, 2014 brings us the first new material from them since 2009's "Justified Genocide". "Global Purification" will be the band's 6^th full-length album, and hopefully not the last. 10 tracks of mountain-moving, earth-breaking Death-Thrash later, and I am sufficiently sated.

No superfluous intro track; "Global Purification" throws the first punch, and throws it hard. Back to the days of old BOLT THROWER and the like, the tried-and-true formula of aggressive and blistering Thrash riffs are paired with scorching vocals; I can almost hear Stephan frothing at the mouth. The man is a monster. "Infestation Of The Soul" is a welcomed change in pace and jarring interruption in flow; one of the many standpoints as to why the album is fantastic, dynamically. A different kind of heavy, it doesn't spend as much time assaulting the senses with formulaic 'Thrash drumming', but more so pounds away with bigger waves in a constantly-swelling tide; definitely one of the bigger, more epic tracks on the album. Tracks like "The Murder Of Innocence" and "Nothing Left" were definite standouts, for not stagnating within the same old formula. Each contained evolved, lengthy breaks or interludes which expanded on the atmospherics and melodies; the latter ending in such a manner, the track feeling more like a progressive, meaningful, directed evolution.

"Nothing Left" being something to go by, the second half of the album is where the music begins to shine. "Feeding The War Machine" contains, fantastic, brutal, methodical riffing; out of each of the 10 tracks, never had I been more strongly urged to headbang my neck in two; easily a contender for album favourite. In fact that, along with the final two tracks, "Blood Will Be Spilled" and "Bastion Of Blasphemy" are the best 10 minutes of the album. "Blood Will Be Spilled" is, without a doubt, the most aggressive, fastest, voracious piece of music on the album; even by Thrash standards. The riffs that rule these three tracks are absolutely killer. "Bastion Of Blasphemy" has an intense, pummelling groove to it, hammered out with methodical and deadly precision and ends the album on an extremely positive note; while I'm left feeling like the album was properly finished, there's an urge to relisten, and relisten, and relisten.

It's great to see my favourite Death Metal scene alive and well; with releases from the likes of SINISTER and ABORTED, I knew THANATOS had to bring something to the table, and they veritably slammed it down.