The follow-up to the minor self-titled comeback effort of a year earlier,
Into the Abyss
might feature a somewhat distracted
Hypocrisy
on the downward end of its creative journey, but the band still smolders on this 2000
Nuclear Blast
effort, refusing to allow much if any distance to appear between itself and the best
Scandinavian metal
outfits. Starting off with some the most furious
tracks in years,
avoids all subtlety as the straight-ahead
death metal
(and maybe a little
thrash
) of
"Legions Descend"
and
"Blinded"
sets a furious standard for the following eight tracks to uphold. This energy is maintained for the most part as the band churns through some of its fastest material in years. Besides those already mentioned, other standouts include the full-on
of
"Digital Prophecy"
"Total Eclipse."
Perhaps not
's finest record but far from an afterthought,
is a solid effort from one of Sweden's most brutal '90s
metal
exports. ~ Vincent Jeffries