Today's death metal scene is filled with bands who try to do too much and sound too technical instead of just writing good music. Mesentery's "Blood Rain" gets back to basics and delivers a solid, if not spectacular, collection of hard, driving riffs mixed well with melodies that fit the songs.

The nicest thing about "Blood Rain" is that it doesn't blast through your ears at ten thousand miles an hour. Like the description says, it's mid-tempo and moves along at a steady but forceful pace. All the songs except for "Truth" clock in at between 4 and 5 1/2 minutes. It's been a while since I could appreciate a death metal song for its musical qualities.

The vocals could definitely use a small boost in volume, but otherwise they sound good. The guitars sound great, especially during the solos and melodies. What impressed me most, though, was the drumming -- it's tight and creative, and definitely sets the feel for all the tracks.

My favorite track was easily "Everlasting Hate" -- a near-perfect blend of speed, technical prowess, musicianship and brutality. Put another way, it's a 5-star song on a 3.5-star album. There wasn't any single track that I disliked -- I just liked some more than others.

Definitely worth adding to your collection. Can't wait to hear more from Mesentery in the near future!

Very impressed with this one. I looped it while playing online games and it did not get old even after several listens. This is a group I would pay $$ to hear more of.