Nottingham-based extremists Outergods released an album a couple of years ago, the superbly-named A Kingdom Built Upon The Wreckage of Heaven, with an almost completely different lineup on a different label, Prosthetic Records. The Prosthetic link is interesting, because at their most horrifically outlandish, Outergods resemble – quite closely, it has to be said – another set of escapees from that particular musical asylum, Australia’s own Werewolves…

Outergods weave in a little more variety to their sound – closer A Mausoleum At The Edge of Time is pure, epic, blackened death metal, for instance, whilst the punchy Sprawling Chaos wields more of a hardcore axe thanks to some guest vocals from American throat Chad Kapper, but the bare facts remain the same – If you enjoy the Werewolves’ filth-encrusted take on extreme, grinding metal, then you’re gonna have a whale of a time with Dethroned & Devoured…

Mnemic axe slinger Rune Stigert also makes a guest appearance, on the excellent Phantasm, whilst former Pirate Queen chanteuse Anna Maria Rose jumps aboard for spectacular opener Origin and penultimate track Celestial Heretic, but for all the guest appearances and new members this is still a very cohesive release. Listened to from start to finish there’s a chance the less hardy listener might get bogged down in the morass of heaviness that makes up the middle part of the album, but by the look of you you’re made of sterner stuff and shouldn’t have any trouble navigating your way through to that spectacular, afore-mentioned closing track.

Jaime Gomez Arellano‘s presence in the mastering suite gives real depth and presence to the sound – it’s great to hear the bass of Brett Richards given full chance to wreak havoc in the mix – and Dan Gorman must also take some credit for burnishing the whole thing with some very nice lead guitar work; This is really impressive stuff, if truth be told, and I’m going to be listening to major ragers like Sprawling Chaos for I fair while to come, I can feel it in my bones…

Dethroned & Devoured is out now.