's first official release, the EP is one of those contradictory recordings which arguably vaulted an entire subgenre -- -- towards the fulfillment of its destiny while seemingly setting back the overall state of heavy metal beyond its prehistoric past. The primary reason being its outlandishly raw, lo-fidelity sound quality, of course, which made even stylistic forefathers (who had coined the " " term a few years earlier under similarly unlikely circumstances, and whose tears through here), resemble 's Wall of Sound, by comparison. In fact, only the earliest efforts by Sweden's , and late-'80s recordings by Brazilian acts like , , and , plumbed comparable depths of extremity to lunatic thrashers like and the title track. Yet, still found space within its 18, mostly frantic minutes, for a few surprising stylistic asides, like the foreboding marshal percussion of intro and the lonely keyboard chimes of that already hint at 's broader aesthetic possibilities. As a result, anticipates the contradictory essence -- part simplicity defined, part progressive exploration -- of the emerging Norwegian movement, and will therefore strike a primal chord of recognition with all devoted enthusiasts of the genre. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia