was 's second album and first with new singer (subsequently of ), and its music represented the typical features of second-wave Bay Area : an obsession with overt technicality (often taking precedence over fluid songwriting and good hooks) and a thicker, crunchier guitar sound which gave discreet notice of the then on-the-rise aesthetic. In other words, they weren't doing anything original enough to really break out of the pack, but within the genre's strict confines, were tackling both trends more capably than most. It's safe to say that the sheer, nimble musicianship displayed on standouts like the title track, and left even worthy contemporaries such as in the proverbial dust, and the seemingly telepathic connection between the rhythm and lead work of guitarists still sounds barely possible -- literally phenomenal. And perhaps even more commendable is the way newcomer rises to the challenge of his cohorts' absurd instrumental abilities. As well as displaying above average lyric-writing abilities (albeit about typical subjects like death, doom, and destruction), he delivers them in an authoritative, part-growled, part-shrieked, part-melodious style whose only possible negative is deriving rather blatantly from the style of 's . Who really cares, though? Other than that, an entertainingly thrashed-over cover of and a micro-flirtation with acoustic guitars in the intro to are the only minor surprises on hand here, qualifying as mandatory listening only for serious enthusiasts. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia