Impressive. That’s the word that comes to mind every time I listen to this tape. And I’ve heard it a bunch of times since I first got it for reviewing purposes. I wonder how Nihilistic Holocaust came across these bands, but they reek the stagnant stench of the 90s. This split has a pounding and aggressive production, with a clear mix and lots of bite; WRITHING tends to sound rawer while AD PATRES has little more polished sound. But they are firmly rooted in the early era of Death Metal. The tape is cohesive and has a nice flow with 3 songs by each band playing great Death Metal! When I heard the first minute of ‘Indomitable’, WRITHING’s opening song, I thought immediately of the mighty MORGOTH with some more speed and edge. ‘Death Of Your Dreams’ is also full of catchy riffs, powerful grunts and a solid rhythm section. While ‘Prey’ features a good acoustic part adding a much needed variation. Now, AD PATRES is faster with lower, gurgling vocals and groovy riffing as in ‘The Lock’. They reminded me of ADRAMELECH in places. Specially in ‘To The Fathers’ with those creepy melodies crawling in. The closer, ‘Scorn Aesthetics’ just emphazises their overall style perfectly. WRITHING (USA) and AD PATRES (FRA) are two bands that susprised me and I hope they keep releasing such quality Death Metal. Conclusion: you need this release in your collection. So, go ahead and get this tape now! Info: http://nihilistic.voila.net, www.facebook.com/writhingmetal, www.facebook.com/pages/Ad-Patres/188860069960?ref=ts