By Keith Carman

Thick and vicious, uncompromising and relentless, Unrepentant is a searing victory not only for eight year old grind/death quintet Thy Flesh Consumed but also for their respective genre. Smashing together an obvious adoration for the likes of early Carcass and Napalm Death with the more dynamic audio technicality of later death metal outfits, the end result on these nine songs is a brutal cacophony of detuned dirges, hammering blast-beats and banshee-esque vocal attacks. Packing in a plethora of riffs, breakdowns and trade-offs within each tune, the overall album is continually compelling with its where-are-they-going-next build up of anticipation without ever failing to follow it up with something of equal or greater value. Compounding the assault, the album is over in an ephemeral—at least for this type of extreme hybrid—in a matter of 40 minutes, ensuring the barrage is swift, pointed, heated and lasting.

(Diminished Fifth)

Rating: 8.0