When Cavalera Conspiracy and Dillinger Escape Plan toured together in 2008, the commonality between both bands was, undoubtedly, the influence of Black Flag's unrelenting damage. The Cavalera brothers told me in '08 of their admiration for Black Flag and the like-minded classic punks in Discharge, while Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato is very aware that his career mimics that of Henry Rollins through several similar acts of synchronicity. So if one was to combine the artistic palates of Puciato and Max Cavalera, the logical result would be '80s crossover (remember crossover?) in the purest of senses.

But logic doesn't always have its place in the hearts, and heads, of artists. Cavalera and Puciato first collaborated on Soulfly's invigorating "Rise Of The Fallen", from 2010's Omen, and the track was pure Soulfly groove 'n' smash, with very little of the outside influence Dillinger Escape Plan's vocalist could no doubt provide. Now, on Killer Be Killed's debut LP, Cavalera and Puciato are joined by Mastodon's Troy Sanders and Dave Elitch, one-time drummer of progressive summersault The Mars Volta. If the Cavalera/Puciato camaraderie made sense because of Black Flag’s belligerent devices, the inclusion of Sanders and Elitch shuffled the deck considerably, and in ways no one was able to predict with any sort of precision.

So here we have Killer Be Killed, a record composed by four major players. Supergroups with this kind of fire-power usually suffer greatly: the egos invariably get in the way, creating albums that are only parts and never sums. And while Killer Be Killed does indeed feel jagged and part-like due to the very bad decision to feature Cavalera, Puciato and Sanders sharing lead vocal duties on every track, that misstep is erased by the impressively cohesive quality of this song-writing. That said, Sanders’ low bellowing, which works so perfectly in the context of Mastodon’s anchoring-the-whale hard rock, sounds especially out of place and ineffective here, taking away from Killer Be Killed's aural ramifications.

Though Killer Be Killed sounds most like the next Soulfly or Cavalera Conspiracy record - with all of the in-the-gym intensity that the comparison implies - its most interesting elements are those that resemble the subversive abysses that Dillinger Escape Plan is so perfectly adept at during the rare moments when that band slows down, in any capacity. Take a classic Soulfly groove-riff and add it to Dillinger’s “Dead As History”, “Chinese Whispers” or “Paranoia Shields” and Killer Be Killed becomes a unique, post-modern amalgam of some of extreme metal’s most iconic and insubordinate ideas.

Which is not to say that the straight-hate groove material that Max writes so fluently and fluidly isn’t appreciated. Killer Be Killed’s most highly effective passages are its fastest, and “Face Down”, “Fire To Your Flag” and “I.E.D.” are burning testaments to power chord riffs done immeasurably right, especially as Puciato’s high pitched screeches intersect and complement Cavalera’s heavy-as-a-fucking-heavy-thing, low growls. This is where Killer Be Killed excels and where the potential of the four involved reaches its zenith.

Despite the fact that first single “Wings Of Feather And Wax” is, by far, Killer Be Killed’s weakest and most awkward moment, this debut record from this unique collective is a legitimate and bonafide contender for a top 10 position when the year-end lists begin rolling out later this year. One hopes material of this type of distinction will be followed up by future efforts, but given the busy schedules of all the players involved, that hope probably won’t be answered for at least another few years.