Everything here is the type of raw, old school, sludge-filled abomination that fans of Venom, Hellhammer, and Autopsy would smile in agreement to whilst banging their heads. The riffing is most commonly mid-paced and sounds dirtier than a broken guitar played through a $5 amp on open mic[rophone] night at the local watering hole. Filthy! But good, really. You have to be in the fold to properly appreciate an album such as this, but I’ve been familiar with Cianide since 1994’s “A Descent Into Hell” and this compares quite favorably with that massive slab.

While this is definitely Death Metal, a Thrash vibe is present for much of the album, particularly in the way the drums continuously pound through each song. The vocals are of the almost indiscernible, guttural variety and really fit the gritty nature of Cianide. Why else would they be here and what other vocal style could they realistically employ? In some places layered/dual vocals are present and these serve to accent the record nicely. The bass is mostly transparent but shines through in a few places.

While the band used to employ some Doom elements in their brand of Death Metal, “Hell’s Rebirth” is mostly devoid of such, save on “Wormfeast” which is masterful. Primarily, however, this could be considered retro Death Metal and Cianide earns an extra half of a point for keeping the faith for all these years, even if half a decade passed since they last graced us with such abuse. Another bonus (and half point): after a 40 second gap following the final song, a cover of Death’s “Infernal Death” is unfurled in all its glory. Fan-freakin’-tastic!

I leave you with the closing lyrics from the no-brainer song entitled “Death Metal Maniac” (which is an homage to Exciter's “Heavy Metal Maniac” and rules!): HELLHAMMER [CELTIC] FROST SLAUGHTER KREATOR REPULSION and SODOM VENOM BATHORY AUTOPSY DEATH MASSACRE DEATHSTRIKE MORBID ANGEL SLAYER and POSSESSED.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 40.21