MAN MUST DIE

A particularly ripping release, MAN MUST DIE's "No Tolerance For Imperfection" could very well serve as the link between the LAMB OF GOD set and subscribers to the Relapse Records catalog. Undaunted, and perhaps inspired, by the rash of negativity that greeted their last effort, "The Human Condition", the Scottish slaughter-mongers fired back at the naysayers with one incredibly heavy and well-rounded album.

Taking an approach that blends hyperactive tech-death with the more bludgeoning side of the classic stuff, MAN MUST DIE do a phenomenal job in mixing up the blast, groove and melody without making any of the transitions sound forced or faked. About a minute into the opening title track, the sheer magnitude of the ass-kicking MAN MUST DIE has in store becomes blatantly apparent. This dizzying display of breakneck riffing and drumming is skillfully mixed with chugging rhythms and homicidal vocals, and the shit just gets better as the album plays on. Unbridled intensity is the best way to describe tracks like "Gainsayer" and "Kill It, Skin It, Wear It", with the former being an exercise in hyperspeed melody and the latter easily standing out as the disc's undisputed hit. Far from being one-trick ponies, the lads muscle it up on LAMB OF GOD-like "It Comes In Threes" and slow it down with some moody instrumental action on "What I Can't Take Back". In case this brief change of pace causes your mind to wander a bit, "Reflections From Within" will reaches out on slams your ass right back into place with more death metal mastery, dynamic songwriting and jaw-dropping fretwork.

For a release like "No Tolerance For Imperfection" to be considered anything but an amazing example of where modern death metal is heading would be criminal. With the amount of razor-sharp technicality, attention-grabbing melody and creative song structuring found on this album one would be hard-pressed to find a dull moment within these eleven tracks. This is one monster of an album that stands up and dares you to knock it down. Good luck.