This thing is just relentless. I have no idea if it really is one of the best selling death metal albums of all time, but it’s certainly one of the most over-the-top, at least that I’ve ever heard. (That’s a good thing.)

This is pummeling and ridiculously fast. With growling and screaming on top of it. The riffs are loud and pretty decent, the drumming is just hilariously frantic – he doesn’t just play on the beat, he plays all the time! – the solos are speedy and there’s both a growl and a scream. The riffs are not particularly technical, so the music sounds a little less sophisticated than some of the other death metal bands emerging at this time, but that doesn’t take away from the sheer visceral feeling of the record. (And just because the riffs aren’t technical doesn’t mean the drummer isn’t playing about as fast as anyone. Whatever these guitarists lack in technical prowess, the drummer attempts to make up for it.)

I like the sound of the record too. There’s some bottom to it, which is oddly lacking in some early extreme metal albums. (And even in the odd later one.) Why those records lack bottom, I don’t know. But it’s here enough. I also like the double-tracked vocals, which add an additional dimension to a record that is otherwise pretty straightforward.

If you’re looking for an impressive display of musicianship, you’re only going to get it from the drummer. (And, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this guy can’t play, like, blues or soul or whatever. He might be the busiest drummer I’ve ever heard. He’s like the death metal equivalent of Nick Andopolis.) But if you’re looking for bonkers blast beats and non-stop fast pummeling music, you could do a lot worse.

Pretty great.