Trepalium - H.N.P (Klonosphere/Season of Mist)

First things first, this album is awesome. Like, really awesome. Just had to get that out of the way. To business! 

Straight from opening track Heic Noenum Pax this album is a whirwind of groovy, bouncy riffs mixed in with brutal breakdowns and screams so visceral they made us want to break our throats trying to emulate them. The screams are incredibly diverse - at times they sound reminscent of Gojira and then at other times they sound like Cradle of Filth (which isn't meant as an insult, honest) particularly when he hits the higher register.

That isn't to say that the vocals are the main thing to listen to on this album, although they do certainly make for excellent listening. The instrumentalists must be given their due as well; each track has so much groove and bounce to it that I started moving to it instinctively, and didn't even care when asked what the fuck I was doing. There's also the occasional guitar solo thrown in for good measure as well. Some people think guitar solos are a little self-indulgent and don't help the music at all. The former is true 9 times out of 10 but when layed over riffs like the one in Insane Architect the latter statement gets chucked staright out of the window and falls down a conveniently placed manhole below.