Pushing the extremes of
death metal
and
grindcore
,
Vital Remains
unleash some of the most intense musical violence conceivable on the band's fourth album,
Dechristianize
. Some of the beats on this album are so fast that a hummingbird would have trouble headbanging along; meanwhile, the "cookie monster" vocal style renders the (apparently blasphemous) lyrics completely unrecognizable. The amazingly fluid (and fast, of course) guitar soloing provides the only melodic moments on the disc. In terms of sheer, punishing intensity,
delivers by the boatload -- but listeners looking for variety and melody will find this album nothing short of exhausting. ~ Andy Hinds