Finns Tyrant Disciple have a simple mission in life; to recreate the halcyon mid-to-late-eighties death/thrash metal scene to the minutest detail.

For the most part that entails fusing the hoarse roar of Kreator’s Mille Petrozza to superannuated Slayer riffs, and, whilst Weight of Oblivion is exactly as unoriginal as that description suggests, that doesn’t mean your not going to have a great time in the album’s company should you decide to give it a spin.

The title track, for instance, is quite, quite superb, despite sounding musically like a Seasons in the Abyss outtake. Great music is great music after all, and Tyrant Disciple have refashioned some great music here.

Blood Countess slows things up a notch and really makes the chug count, the space between the notes giving full room for Sami Risku’s sandpapered throat to give a good account of itself.

Similarly the slightly slower Long Lives the King seems to work well, the drop in pace surrendering nothing in intensity, especially in the sterling work behind the kit of Jussi Samppala.

However the best track mixes things up between heavy and even heavier, adding a sledgehammer dynamic that should carry some sort of government health warning. I’m talking about track eight, Eternal Burn, which is as coruscating a piece of aural devilment as you’ll hear all year. Here the parts that have worked singularly well elsewhere are brought together to create an absolute sledgehammer of mayhem. It’s a glorious listening experience, let me tell you!

Having peaked there, the band don’t quite reach such Olympian heights again, although the frenzied attack of Bringer of Rain has a fair bit going for it. Final track Funeral War bring things to a close and then… blessed silence. Until you decide to press play again, which I’m sure you will…

Like I say, zero originality – but one hundred per cent grim, deathly fun!

Weight of Oblivion will be released by Inverse Records on September 7th.