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Dutch Death/Thrash pioneers Thanatos were the very first Extreme Metal band to come from the Netherlands. They've been toiling as minor underground legends since 1984, and with the (as of writing) upcoming release of their seventh album, Violent Death Rituals, they're not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Despite the introduction of some new members, with Martin Ooms on drums and Mous Mirer on bass, there's nothing on here longtime fans won't come to expect, and that's a damn good thing. Sinister, Slayer-esque guitar work, insane drumming, solid bass harmonies, and Stephan's bestial vocals are all here in fine form, coming together in an excellent display of Death/Thrash madness as that puts them up there with their better known and similar sounding countrymates Pestilence and Legion of the Damned, only Thanatos were here first and may well have outdid them both.

With songs like "Burn the Books of Hate", "It Always Ends in Blood", and "As the Cannons Fade", these guys have made a varied and vicious album that may well be their best stuff yet. This will likely end up on a lot of Top 10 lists this year, and it damn well deserves it.