I’m pleased to report that Aussie death machine Flaming Wrekage are back, and with a new album, Terra Inferna, that makes greats strides forward from their last effort, Cathedral of Bones.

That’s not to say that they’ve moved particularly far away stylistically from that admirable album; more, they’ve refined what made it so attractive in the first place, in the process delivering their most mature and well-rounded offering to date.

Tracks like coruscating opener Witch Hunt, which starts proceedings with a classy, Carcassesque swagger, are right up there with any of the other death metal I’ve come into contact with thus far in 2024; Likewise Hell On Earth, No Gods and closer Our Own Blood, which all demonstrate a sureness of purpose and excellence of execution that many much ‘bigger’ names would sell close relatives for. This is serious top-drawer stuff!

Dave Lupton leads from the front, augmenting his blast furnace roar with a pleasing mid range rasp that actually allows you to hear what he is singing about; His partnership with lead guitarist Justin Humphrey continues to impress, and together the pair power this album with some impressive axework. Similarly effective, the engine room of drummer Matt Thornton and bassist Lachlan Campbell has evolved into a watertight unit capable of propping up the band’s unforgiving chug with a great mix of agility and power. When you find four musicians able to operate at this level in concert with one another, it’s no surprise the results are so consistently explosive, not to mention successful.

At the end of the day, the World won’t stop turning if you don’t buy Terra Inferna when it comes out later this month; But you will be a significantly less well-rounded and fulfilled person without the likes of Blood and Bone and Ghosts in your life, believe me…

Terra Inferna releases on April 26th.