_Maniac's Banquet_ won't set the world on fire (although their website bio would tend to indicate they'd like to do nothing more, albeit quite literally). Nonetheless, it's an all around solid slab of workmanlike death metal, with those omnipresent black / thrash grace notes lending color. Or is that the other way around?

"Nekrolog", the opening salvo, fires off with a purist black metal riff, but by the time the vocals kick in they've had a rethink in favor of death, yet unafraid to dip back into their sister genres for added depth. "Immortals" finds NGT utilizing the frazzled antipathy of black metal, but with an obvious predilection for the technical chops that thrash and death metal allow them to utilize. "Faceless" ups the thrash ante with an extended acoustic intro and throwback Bay Area riffing.

While the triad crossover thing -- black / death / thrash -- is becoming increasingly common, few bands get it right to the extent that Necrosadistic Goat Torture has accomplished on this MCD.