In many ways, what Aussie bruisers Witchgrinder have come up with on their latest offering, Nothing Stays Buried, is perfect. The second track on this new album Dead By Dawn, for instance, is a perfect synthesis of all the great metal that’s emerged since Judas Priest dropped Painkiller waaaay back in 1992.

Seriously – it’s got the crunch n’guts of the Germans and the Aussies, the glitz and glam o’ the yanks and the dependable grit of the brits all rolled into one irresistible package that screams BANG YOUR HEAD right in your face before careering off into the hills on a stolen hog to construct the same message in fifty foot lettering above whatever miserable one horse town you happen to be living in whilst your eyes flicker listlessly over these ravings.

Queen of Sin takes the industrial bedrock and adds a sleazy squirt of flexnet into the pot to create something oh so gonzo, but for the most part this is serious, down home heaviness designed to wreck necks with frightening efficiency. Witchgrinder recognise the power of the chug, and realise that, when harnessed with a metronomic, gigantic pulsebeat, there’s probably no more satisfying sound in metaldom in 2024.

But perhaps the best thing to note here is the fact that Nothing Stays Buried is dripping with that X-factor that makes the best metal – melody. Whether vocal or instrumental, these blokes have got it in spades – have a listen to the superb guitars on Upon Cursed Grounds for further, very pleasurable proof. But make sure you’ve fastened that neck brace tightly first!

Whatever your poison in modern metal these blokes have got you covered; The only thing that’s down to you is the provision of a big bastard stereo on which to enjoy the mayhem unfolding before your ears, because surely that’s what’s needed to fully enjoy the bonecrushing majesty of tracks like Inject The Venom or the absolutely coruscating robo-thrash of You Bury Your Own, which is hands down the best thing I’ve heard so far in 2024… Please, cancel whatever it is you’ve got planned for the rest of the day and spend your time with this album instead. You will not regret it!

Nothing Stays Buried releases on March 28th.