Criminal - Fear Itself

Chilean-British thrashers Criminal return refreshed after five-year gap

As an album which founding member and frontman Anton Reisenegger said was taking "longer than expected due to the band members' other commitments", Fear Itself has clearly been given much more attention than you'd expect from a group with so much else going on. Reisenegger himself seems lucky to find the time, having joined grindcore supergroup Lock Up in 2006 and reforming with influential extreme metallers Pentagram in 2007.

As their most destructive effort yet, Fear Itself sees Criminal lean more towards their death metal influences than ever before. Their crunching riffs are helped by new newcomer Sergio Klien, who lends face-melting lead guitar to tracks like 'False Flag Attack' and 'Animals To God'.

Klein may breathe fresh new life into Criminal's guitar-assault, but the whole band seems refreshed by their five-year gap between albums. A new aggressive edge to their sound gives Fear Itself a revived feel that surpasses at least a few of its predecessors to mark a new start for the thrash quartet.

8/10

Fear Itself is out March 11th via Metal Blade Records