In a nutshell, this is a very concise album that will require people that are familiar with their previous albums to re-assess their committment to the band or listen to it ten times intensely to come to the conclusion that the intentions are good and that we are dealing with a natural progression here. This album provides a good example of how to create solid death metal musically and lyrically. The standard chord stream main riffs alternates with bridges and interludes expressing the most of brutality as can be hoped for in music. Some rather innovative techniques populate this album, including some quirky tempo fluctuations and descriptive use of feedback. Heavy, fast, low and rumbling, this music tears across the airwaves like a buffalo stampede out of hell.
Vocals are exceptionally low and probably carcinogenic.
The energy level remains high throughout this album, something exhibited also in the venomous lyrics, which destroy conventional Christian paradigms with an acrid offhand manner. There are no real surprises on this album, but none are needed, either. Make Minor Threat less predictable and cross them with a Carcass that pulls even more punches, and you have Agthocles. It originates in the brutal-disgusting extreme end of grindcore, but as the band state explicitly, they are into individualism, and to that end it varies musically quite often. Lyrics are not as good as Brutal Truth, but nestle nicely between the pure gore of Carcass and the outright outraged politicism of Napalm Death.