Finally free of a ludicrous contract with a label that changed for the worse during the this band’s tenure, Cleveland heavy hitters Ringworm come out firing on all cylinders on their first record for their new label, Relapse. It’s as if the band were reborn, because this record brims with a ferocious energy and attitude that belies their 20-plus years of existence.

At the center of this sonic firestorm, lead throat-shredder The Human Furnace delivers one impassioned and pissed off performance. His vocals are steeped in anger and invective. The rest of the band follows his lead, playing with a deadly mixture of precision and raw power. This all adds to one master class in the art of metallic hardcore and signals another high point for the band.

“Dawn Of Decay” rapidly accelerates to a fast thrashy crossover at the bash of a cymbal, and even throws in a noisy guitar solo in the cacophony. “Psychic Vampire” pushes their crossover sound into the red, while “King Of Blood” between fast hardcore and brutal breakdowns with savage grace. “Die Like A Pig” mines a mean mid-paced chug. The title track goes right for the throat, while closer “Height Of Revelation” ends it all in a furious manner.

Those who may have thought that this band had a lost a step should listen to this record. They are back and out for blood.

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)