If 's 1992 record was met with lukewarm critical and commercial response, by the time the band released its excellent 1994 return to form, , the hard rock panorama had changed beyond recognition. 's sixth studio album literally saw the boys from the Bay Area fighting for their lives in the unfriendly surroundings of the alternative nation. Wisely, the band decided to try something completely different and join forces with / producer . With temporary drummer in place behind the skins, the band began tracking at studios in Los Angeles. Wanting to return to the no-holds-barred yet musically challenging sounds of works past, the teaming proved to be the perfect fodder necessary for to regain their confidence. Surprisingly, the dark, raging sounds that would emerge from these sessions represent some of the band's most lucid work since the classic . Impeccably mixed by hard rock warrior , gets off to a tumultuous start with the album's title track. A bludgeoning start-stop-start-stop exercise in monster guitar crunch, showcases everything that is great and yet sometimes limiting about 's attack: huge guitar riffs, 's bowel-liquefying growl, and a classic Bay Area thrash sound spearheaded by rhythm ace . Unfortunately, the song (like many others on the band's post records) never takes off the way older tracks like or did. And with their backs against the wall, good, in this case, just isn't good enough. Still, all is not lost. Track number two, is the perfect platform for 's massive drumming. As he leads the band into battle, the guitar duo of and ex- guitarist effortlessly peel off one guitar harmony after the other. In had finally found a solid replacement for the departed guitar wiz . Also on offer is the token power ballad (a department in which never really excelled) in the form of With references to and , circa only gradually takes flight towards a predictable guitar crescendo. Steeped deep in old-school Bay Area thrash and death metal vocals, is an absolute scorcher, and undeniably the album's highlight. In the vein of old band classics like will have fans of the classic chugga-chugga Bay Area guitar sound headbanging their necks off. At the end of the day, even though it rekindles memories of glories past, ultimately falls short of a full return to form. And like many later day thrash metal albums (see 's ), for all its merits would remain unheralded and unappreciated for arriving just plain too late. In the meantime, a little band by the name of was about to reinvent the wheel that same year and do to what did to hair rock. Kill 'em dead. ~ John Franck