For one thing, it hasn't been lost on these boys just how crucial a quality engineering job can be in allowing a stripped down set of songs room to breathe. Nick Hemingway -- a relative unknown whose biggest credential thus far has been manning the helm for Cancer's _Spirit in Flames_ -- lifts Chokehold above the standard genre limitations inherent in their all-too-reverent songwriting. _The Killing Has Begun_ aims for consistency over individual highlights, but "Hollow Soul" impresses with its deft riffing and closing breakdown, and lead single "Faith of Fear" easily sports some of uni-monikered Lawrence's ablest double bass skills.

Rarely, the band will slip into minor nu-metal variations, as on the chorus to "Hellbound" or the acoustic-laced intro to "Fallen"; but '90s-influenced thrash, the forerunner to today's so called metalcore, is at heart Chokehold's forte. In the end, perhaps, they make things sound a bit too effortless, but have hardly embarrassed themselves by stepping outside the comfort zone of their primary band. There is a place in the scene for solid supporting acts, and Chokehold are capable of keeping just about any headliner honest.