For anyone who has ever had an abscess, they certainly know it's not a laughing matter. In fact, I had an abscessed tooth last year, and it sucked more dick than Jenna Jameson giving head to the employees of a Dyson factory. In a black hole. So, after the split of Autopsy, Chris Reifert couldn't have chosen a more suitable name for this filthy four-piece's moniker, as it's the aural equivalent of having one in your ears. You can almost feel the puss oozing as your ear drums quickly deteriorate into sludge as the waves of rock and roll and punk inspired death metal literally drool from your speakers, infecting your head like a particularly nasty strain of rancid virus.

I've followed the band after picking up their excellent 'Tormented' album, and know that they've always suffered with comparisons with Autopsy, which is understandable as musically they aren't exactly a massive breed apart. However, come this most recent effort, it seems Reifert and Co. are truly struggling for ideas. The riffs just don't have the longevity that their previous releases did, at times sounding surprisingly lackluster and jaded. Even the sick lyrics seem to have suffered, seeming rushed and cobbled together at the last minute, it's all pretty disappointing knowing what the band have achieved previous to this as they certainly have the pedigree to create something better. Hell, even the production doesn't sound as raw sewage-caked as it used to. Rather than submerging you head-first into a lake of month old fetid pig shit, it merely gives the occasional whiff of farts.

So, all that sticks in the mind after taking in this release in its entirety is the fact that it's disappointingly tame in comparison to their previous efforts. It's more of a mild headache than a tumor. Sorry guys, but this is a serious case of 'must try harder' or give it up altogether. Check out their earlier stuff before picking this up.