I was really not impressed by the comeback MCD "Sacrifice The King". It was one of the biggest disappointments last year and it seemed that this legendary Finnish Death Metal outfit was about to ruin its reputation of being cult which this horde aquired with their killer release "Members Of Immortal Damnation" back in 1992. So I really expected not that much from the new album but nevertheless I was quite curious how this full length would turn out. And what shall I tell you? I was absolutely blown away right from the start by "Awaken From Slumber". It seems PURTENANCE really took the bad reviews to heart. The new eleven tracker (incl. intro / outro) really kicks seriously ass and especially this superfluous MCD into the gutter. Anno 2013 these masters of brutal old school Death Metal deliver what their supporters already expected one year before. The new songs brim over memorable killer riffs animating the listener immediately to bang the head with full force. The entire album is brutal as hell and the secret lies for sure in the variety of speed, the numerous details and of course the really dark and eerie mood / atmosphere which I missed so badly on the last release. It’s intense, dark, creepy, ultra heavy – simply said it’s great! Juha and his comrades come up with excellent arranged and executed monstrous songwriting where every note fits perfectly and all elements (e.g. some sinister keyboard parts in the background, blasts, doomy passages etc.) blend together quite well. Thus this Suomi brigade creates a dense and morbid alloy of supreme Metal of Death which should please every old school banger and fan of the band. The fat killer sound just compliments each tune and the well done cover artwork is a perfect match. Finally I can say "welcome back!". So don’t hesitate to put this one on the top of your shopping list – it’s for sure a must have for all Deathbangers out there. Just visit www.facebook.com/purtenance and www.xtreemmusic.com for further info.