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Reaching fresh-cut, blood-soaked heights of brutality, Sanctorum raise hell with their debut release, "The Heavens Shall Burn".

Incredibly for a band still in their teens, the Essex quartet have harnessed extremes of fast-paced aggression, which far surpass their relatively tender years. Wasting not a single moment with the more mainstream-friendly niceties of melodic metal, "Blood Lust" opens on a ferocious yet hypnotically rhythmic flurry of riffs, which possess all the compelling intensity of U.S. extreme metal titans, Chimaira. The bone-splitting, "Ancient Words" combines this devastatingly high impact effect with snarling vocals charged with bitterness and pain.

Effectively converted into an unholy string of heathen curses, by lead vocalist, Aaron Sly's guttural screams, Sanctorum display an intelligent, nihilistic lyrical persuasion in their music. "My Sickness" and "Lifeless Love" positively brim with simmering, barely suppressed fury. As Sly spits forth an unstemmable torrent of rage, "Lifeless Love" opens on blisteringly rapid echoing riffs rising to an unbridled fiery climax of a solo. "Stand Alone" deviates momentarily from the overwhelming air of aggression, which predominates throughout the album. Ragged as the edges of an open wound, the guitars remain remarkably heavy and yet are wielded with astounding harmonic skill.

Though reeking of death and decayed dreams, "The Heavens Shall Burn" paradoxically seethes with adrenalin and produces an intensely addictive effect, the like of which can only be attributed to uncompromisingly extreme, high-calibre heavy metal.

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:twisted :twisted :twisted :twisted / 4 out of 5