These guys started out as West Coast clones of Suffocation, but on their second album, they really blossomed by embracing their progressive side, taking obvious influence from the early ’90s work of legends like Death, Atheist, and Pestilence while pumping in a heavy dose of brutality. The band’s primary creative force, guitarist Matt Sotelo, unleashes one shredtastic solo after another (he plays the bass parts, too) as drummer KC Howard lays down thunderous blast beats. Vocalist Bill Robinson is present, but honestly, this could just as easily have been an instrumental album; it’s Sotelo’s show from beginning to end.

– Phil Freeman