I can't overstate how much I love Misery Index, how this band takes all that is great about grindcore and extremely heavy punk and delivers it through a massive DM framework to my complete and utter satisfaction. So it's not like I was expecting anything less than greatness here, but, wow, the band has outdone themselves.

“Administer The Dagger” completely rules as an opener, slow and sludgey with an extremely intense, ranting vocal delivery in the intro; it gives way to a climactic grinding blast, and it's on, everything's on, “The Eaters And The Eaten” grinding even faster, the title track's melodic hardcore attack like His Hero Is Gone all cleaned up and ready to fucking annihilate the bourgeoisie dinner party and laying down a glory-ride solo to die for along the way (seriously, what a song)... By the time the record's midpoint hits, and “Necessary Suffering” ends with a slam and “Rites Of Cruelty” blasts back in, man, this band is on fire this time around. Misery Index are always great, and they're even greater when they focus on their grind and hardcore sides, which is what they're doing here, the DM more of an Earache '91 grind/death sound than anything, which is perfect. “Conspiracy Of One”'s chilling sludge intro brings HHIG to mind again, while “Infiltrators” is basically catchy punk, and it rules.

“Reciprocal Repulsion” brings dissonant guitar work to the table, and closer “Now Defied!” is a short, smart grindcore blast to end things off. Some bands—Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, His Hero Is Gone, Assück, and goddamn Misery Index—just get it. There won't be a better extreme album this year.