Moreso than simply turning up the volume however, the band have, with the help of one-time Pantera producer Terry Date, matured their songwriting talents to the point where their myriad influences now work together harmoniously rather than jostle for the listener's attention. The hardcore pomp and the waft of Scandinavian melo-death remain a constant, but it's that much more palatable this time round.

"This Glorious Nightmare" sets the tone in an explosion of sonic malevolence that's custom-designed to cause injury. Skipping nary a beat, "Giles" blasts directly out of its glowing embers, recalling The Haunted's debut as performed by a roving troupe of rabid pit bulls. Nine tracks later and "Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos" brings a suitably cataclysmic close to proceedings -- and even if, along the way, there may be fleeting moments where you'll feel like you're listening to the same song, it's a testament to the relentlessness of Unearth's onslaught more than anything else.