Some of the most ferocious music created in the current century has been created in Poland. Especially, Death Metal has had some well-known names out there. And to keep the tradition going, EMPATIC has just released their second album. Musically speaking, "Ruined Landscape" dwells well into the Death / Thrash realm. The production is perfect for their style. It’s a wall of distortion with a deadly dose of drum pounding, huge bass bottom end and a super aggressive vocal attack. Their best and strongest moments occur when they speed up the pace. The band does have groovy passages and features some really heavy tunes. But mostly, when they include some blast beats, that’s when the band crushes! 3 guitar Death Metal attack! Yes, Jakub, Przemysław and Piotr, deliver awesome riff after awesome riff, with Włodzimierz keeping things together in the subsonic area. The vocal department is also a highlight. Maciej mixes the deep growls with high pitched shrieks and some mid-range screams here and there. They add color and variety to each and every song. So it has a good overall flow. Great performance! Last, but not least, Krzysztof’s drums tighten up everything. He plays exactly what the songs need. Nothing more, nothing less. And that is a remarkable aspect of his playing, since nowadays, it seems the "fastest drummer" competition is on and this goes in detriment of the actual music. I haven’t heard their debut album, but if it is half what "Ruined Landscape" offers, get it by all means. EMPATIC is a really good representation of another extreme Polish Metal band that is developing its own identity and character. A band that is covering all the aspects to grow and become one of the big names in their local scene and also, to get noticed internationally. The album has a tight execution and it showcases really good musicianship. These guys know what they are doing. My only complaint? (Yes, it seems I always find something to complain about) is that, at times, I think the overall sound is a little too compressed for my taste. But don’t let my untrained ear get in the way. "Ruined Landscape" deserves a spot in any respected Metalhead’s collection. Recommended 100%. Info on the band and their label can be found, respectively, here: www.facebook.com/empatic.info, www.terrasound.at