Usurper - Lords of the Permafrost (2019)

If you had seen or experienced some of the crazy low temperatures these Chicagoans had experienced during the cold snap of 2018-19, then you'd be reassured they can lay claim to the title they chose for this reunion record. Of course, you could also translate it as a clever homage tracing back to that legendary Swiss band which influenced these guys since their inception, so it works on a number of levels. In any case, Usurper has produced its first new studio album in 14 years, and since the simplistic, iron pulsing blackened thrash style they perform in is not one that ever really goes out of style, Lords of the Permafrost doesn't sound like it's missed a single beat. In fact, I'll go beyond that to say that within just a few spins I've decided that I like this more than anything these dudes have put out since Skeletal Season back in 1999.

Without reinventing their formula, or really any formula, Usurper succeeds in sounding refreshed at what they've offered us all along, steady treading, fist pumping thrash metal with riffing progressions that don't sound advanced whatsoever from an 80s mentality, but remain convincing, entertaining and by their own measure, rather brutal. Hellhammer and Celtic Frost are the obvious starting point, but the band hits a lot harder in terms of percussion, and they shift into faster paced, moderate blasted parts which balance out the grooving, mosh-worthy ballast. The rhythm guitar tone on this record is fucking awesome, chunky and voluptuous and repeatedly fisting you in the abdomen while the thick bass lines reinforce it. A couple of riffs where this is most evident have an almost slower-paced vibe similar to Slayer in the late 80s, and the chord selections also have that same sort of chilling, evil feel, with maybe a little vintage Sepultura chucked in there. The leads are likewise great through the album, appearing exactly where they need to be, sounding frivolous and wild enough yet structured, and really round out the whole experience.

I think it's the vocals though that truly bind the album together, gut-fed, hostile paeans to the Tom G. Warrior syllabic crudeness but with more of a death metal, grumbling sustain to them, and then they are often backed up with some other growls or shouts, even some somber Goth-like cleans in the tune "Beyond the Walls of Ice" which honestly got me up out my chair circle pitting around my office/game room table like a denim & leather neanderthal, regardless of the fact that I'd heard these riffing patterns before probably a million times. Lords of the Permafrost is exactly that fun, it never tries to be anything more than an added spike in Usurper's blood-spattered epaulet, and there is just enough variety between the slower and faster sequences in the tracks to keep it engaging and not fall into some sodden, repetitive wreck. Nothing new for this band, sure, but I actually thought that, at least as far as the production quality, this was their best and most immediate sounding album, and I'll happily reach for this off the shelf as often as my previous favorites in their discography, Skeletal Season and Diabolosis... Ice crushing hesher mayhem.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.facebook.com/usurper.chicago

Bones - Bones (2011)

When Chicago's Usurper broke up a while back, it left a void out in the Midwest of crude and authentic US punishment. Not that I was a fan of all their albums, necessarily, but certainly their earlier efforts Diabolosis and Skeletal Season were formidable exports of brutal black and thrash metal that not many bands here were producing. Thankfully, the graveyard has been restocked with a fresh set of Bones, a band as primitive and simplistic as their name might imply, which rekindles the hostile hearts of Jon Necromancer, Carcass Chris and drummer Joe. Naturally, there are going to be comparisons made to the trio's alma mater, and the vocals and guitar tone are certainly redolent of the earlier Usurper records, but if anything, Bones is more bludgeoning and less subtle than even that formative incarnation.

The emphasis here is on neanderthal crushing death and thrash with a clear inspiration from the crustier side of punk rock. I've read many comparisons to Motörhead, but in truth this only manifests in a few of the more punk-fueled tracks like "March of the Dead", "Good Die Young" and "Lonely Death", in which you might also hear a hint of early Discharge. The majority of the record hits like a thrashing, belligerent weightstone, the crunch of the guitar and the massive and distorted bass competing in the mix alongside Jon's angry vocals. Some of the slower, thrashing pieces like "666" are engrossing enough to bang the head along to, but most do not focus so much around the riffs as they do sheer volume and raw force ("Bloodlust", "Bitch", "Slowburn"). They also incorporate a cover of Devastation's "Apocalyptic Warrior", thick and destructive as all hell breaking loose, with a messy but sincere lead bled across its bridge, which serves as a good fit for Bones, and a fitting tribute. Mind you, this is not the Texan Devastation band who released a few albums through Combat, but the Chicago underground group who had one self-released full-length in the 80s.

The key to Bones is that one must totally set aside any expectations for complexity, because the riffing is even more basic than most of Usurper's output. Like so many of the punk-influenced powerhouse thrash, black and death metal acts, the notation can often prove too predictable and creatively bankrupt to leave an impression, and while the wrath and energy of these veterans is never in question, that can sometimes be the case on this debut. There are very few moments here of surprise or hooks so memorable that they'd warrant profuse replays, and certain tracks are notably more catchy than others. That said, the fact that the trio is so ungodly loud and sincere goes a long way to compensate for any of the lagging tunes, and they never set out to write a record worthy of perspicacity, only pummeling fortitude. To that extent, Bones works, and it gives us something to look forward from these old, mighty hands.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/bonesofchicago

Usurper - Cryptobeast (2005)

Cryptobeast is the 2nd album Usurper recorded for Earache records, and also their final studio outing. The band brought on a new vocalist here, Dan Tyrantor, who has a pretty different voice than General Diabolic Slaughter. I dare say, Tyrantor sounds a little like a more bruising, death obsessed Phil Anselmo, or a bloodier cousin to Crowbar's Kirk Windstein back in that band's prime. He's not necessarily an awful frontman for this band, and when he breaks into a growl, you can feel the death metal power coursing through your skull, but I'm just not into the swagger I feel when listening to most of his vocals here, and I felt a little of the buzz die inside, really missing Slaughter's performance on the first few releases.

On the other hand, musically, Usurper has polished itself up and delivers a far more aggressive, exciting set of tunes than one found on either Twiilght Dominion or Necronemesis. They come out fighting on a few songs like "Bones of My Enemies", "Return of the Werewolf" and the very Deicide-like, blasting death metal of "Supernatural Killing Spree". A few of the mid paced tracks like "Wrath of God" deliver these massive grooves which feel like a mid point between Bolt Thrower and a brutal hardcore, complete with repeated gang vocal shouts. "Cryptobeast" is the fastest, most purely thrashing element of this album, and I also enjoyed the eerie yet warm atmosphere of the instrumental "Ectoplasm". "Reptilian" doesn't do much for me musically, as it's a very chug hardcore song which reminds me somewhat of Hatebreed with a doomier sounding breakdown. But I like that they tackle the old conspiracy theory of the reptile humanoids that are hidden among us!

Alas, the band once again incorporates a pair of 'WE ARE METAL' songs here. The first, "Kill for Metal" features some cool, swerving bass and classic, dirty speed metal riffs, and really all is well until the dopey lyrics arrive. When did this band decide they were going to become the death metal Manowar?

Arising from an electric Hell
Usurper casts the decibel spell
Annihilation of the false and weak
Metal shall inherit-death to the meek!

It is not alone, joined here by an update to the song "Warriors of Iron and Rust" from the Necronemesis album, subtitled "Battalions of the New Millenium". Ever wonder what the original would sound like with a more panterrible death metal singer? Here, sate your curiosity on this abortion. It's a shame, because yet again, the music itself is pretty sick, with Scythe and Necromancer delivering more passion than the previous edition. Among the rest of the lyrics, which deal in cool subjects like Gaelic myth and warfare, these two tracks stand out like swollen, ugly pimples in need of a popping.

This is the gist of Crytobeast. An energetic outpouring from a rabble that had seemed quite subdued on the their two previous albums in the 21st century, but ultimately failing to impress solely on the basis of the majority of the vocals and the two 'metal' tracks. It's a goddamn shame, because the guitar tone is like the jet fuel of an Abyssal airline, burning hellishly through the night sky as it delivers the souls to the underworld. These strings burn. As I've stated, Dan Tyrantor is not exactly some shitty, half-assed replacement, but I just feel his style better fits a metalcore or groove metal band, and its presence here often rapes the music's potential. The overall quality thus falls once more below to the middling realm of mediocrity.

In summation:
Usurper 1995-1999: Great!
Usurper 2000 and beyond: Try not to think about it.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (my breath is the blinding fog)

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Twilight Dominion (2003)

I can always appreciate a band for trying to branch out, but in the case of Usurper's third album Necronemesis, that branching out involved a rather mediocre watering down of the band's heavier than though, raging Hellhammer roots, an offering of dessicated thrash that neither excited nor compelled through anything bordering on the monstrous evil conveyed by many black/thrash acts. A few years later, with a new drummer in tow, the band would return to the studio to produce their fourth full-length, Twilight Dominion, and through a new label...none other than Earache records. This is not a far cry from Necronemesis in terms of style, and some ways, it still suffers from that records blase riff writing.

I'll even go further, and admit that General Diabolical Slaughter's vocals here are rather boring, even in comparison to the previous album. He still gives a good grunt here or there, and in truth he spins around and heads back towards a tone more reminiscent of his older, Tom G. Warrior vocals, but a lot of the lines here feel monotonous and simply too clean. They had me craving the old Diabolical Slaughter, who sounded like a parting of graveyard soil to vomit out the dead that they might torment the living. Here he sounds like any old random, 2nd or 3rd rate thrash singer with a pretty manly, angry voice that sounds a little weaker than the music surrounding it. The riffs also suffer a little, but Twilight Dominion benefits from something Necronemesis did not have: a thicker tone which naturally adds a slight layer of atmosphere.

This album most reminds me of the great US band Deceased, in particular their album Fearless Undead Machines. The music is nowhere near as good, but the blend of classic, dark and melodic speed metal riffs and leads within the denser compost of black, death and thrash metal really casts a similar shadow, and the vocals are also similar to King Fowley. When the communion of riffing fury and vocal abandon works, it works well. "Golem" shows a strong side to the band, with engaging walls of death metal riffing, thundering, precision drums and a massive collapse into thick doom for the finale. "Utopian Nightmare" also builds a great, Celtic Frost and Cathedral inspired groove infused with some solid chugging and Necromancer's strong bass presence (which is true of the entire album). The leads in "She-Devil" are nice and wild, "Lycanthropic" and "I Am Usurper" get a pass, and "Invincible Overlords" might suffice if you seek something more scathing. The lyrics are almost all based around pulpy horror and science fiction themes, which have a lot of appeal to me.

One of the worst songs here is, of course, "Metal Lust". For some strange reason, the band has yet again decided to include another 'metal way of life' track (I refer you to "Warriors of Iron and Rust" on the last album), which feels pretty meek in the face of the cooler topics they explore in other songs. Hell, the latter half of the album's tracks revolve around the 'Chronovisor' myth! Now that's fucking cool! Clearly Usurper were a respectable metal band to anyone with ears. So "Metal Lust" sounds phony, and phoned in, especially when Slaughter intones 'nothing else to live for, a Metal way of life, nothing else to live for, so I will make you die!'. For the thousandth time, a song like this is complete unnecessary. Maybe to an extra terrestrial visiting Earth in 1985, it was a helpful piece of advice when a band proudly announced their "Metal _ _ _ _" in a song title. But by 2003, we all fucking understand. We know you are a metal band. We're your fans. We listen to you because we like metal music. It's a foregone conclusion. I'd expect this sort of output from a clown band like Dream Evil, and I realize it's just meant in good fun, but do we really need this sort of predictable, self-referential material from a generally good band like this one?

It's frustrating, but what can you do. Twilight Dominion is a better album than Necronemesis, but the band would have a long way to go before they reach the bar they set from 1995-1999. Half the songs here are worthwhile, the other half not so much. This doesn't always work as a thrash metal record, as the rhythms are too familiar and fundamental, but the leads are pretty exciting throughout, and if you're seeking out a more brute companion to Deceased's Fearless Undead Machines or Supernatural Addiction, you may have found one. The mix sounds good and thick, in particular the bass and guitars, but the vocals feel like a man going through the motions, too easily dismissed, except when he bursts into life like the vicious, black metal screaming in "She-Devil". Coincidentally, this would be General Diabolic Slaughter's last record with the band, with Dan Tyrantor taking over for the final slay-ride, Cryptobeast.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (calamity and powerlust)

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Necronemesis (2000)

Necronemesis, the third full length effort from Chicago's blackest (and I don't mean skin tone) band Usurper, would mark a moderate departure from the sound of their previous work. Where before we had a crushing example of post-Hellhammer, we now have a ball fisted, bludgeoning thrash force which more closely resembles some bastard spawn of Rigor Mortis and early Hallows Eve, with the band's fondness for witchcraft, monsters and dark folklore now in full bloom. You can still hear the Celtic Frost whenever General Diabolical Slaughter belches out a 'Hey!', and perhaps in some of the riffing, but this record pays heed to a far wider scope of thrash, death and black metal influences.

To be honest, I thought it was a step back from Skeletal Season, albeit a small one. The band still had the chops to conjure up their morbid walls of atmospheric, thrashing doom, but the utterly crushing tones of a Diabolosis or Threshold of the Usurper are missing here, replaced by some rather average thrash riffs. Granted, they were never exactly virtuosos, and in fact Necronemesis does have some faster fare here than normal like "Full Metal Maelstrom" or "Slaughterstorm", though the latter reminds me in spots of "Necrocult Part 1" from their 1997 EP. The leads here are far more furious, but the overall tone of the album felt a little dry to me, rather than the ominous killing sprees the band had previously committed.

There are several diamonds in the rough, with a dull shine, one of which would be the morose title track, a slowly building, chugging atmospheric thrash exercise with guest vocals courtesy of none other than the great King Diamond himself. Usurper had covered "Charon", and Mercyful Fate's "Black Funeral" on previous releases, so this was undoubtedly a huge moment for the band, to be graced with their lord and savior. "Warriors of Iron and Rust" is suitably warlike and violent, though the lyrics about metal, leather and alcohol were already feeling a little corny as early as 2000. Thankfully, they are an exception here, as most of the bands lyrics still deal in themes of horror and other cult obscurity. "Full Metal Maelstrom" is a head on blitz featuring guest vocals from Proscriptor of Absu, and "Into the Oblong Box" is a slowly bouncing track that feels like it would have been right at home on Hallow's Eve's Tales of Terror.

A decade later, I admit I've never really had the urge to reach for this on the shelf when better options were available, as in the rest of the band's catalog. Something about Necronemesis screams average, though the band might have great taste in guest vocalists and song titles. At the same time, there is really nothing offensive about it. The riffs just fall a little flat, and the atmosphere not nearly oppressive enough to compensate. I suppose if you were adamant about collecting all of the band's works, you might not find this too far a stretch from Skeletal Season, but in my opinion its a rather dull impression on the skull.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (into darkness, into fear)

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Visions from the Gods (2000)

Thrilled as Necropolis must have been with the unruly beast they had on their hands with the Threshold of the Usurper EP and the ensuing Skeletal Season, they decided that the new millennium should herald the dawn of not one, but two new Usurper releases: the mighty third album Necronemesis, and the Visions from the Gods compilation, which collects together the band's original demo of the same name, and some additional outtakes and bonus tracks that had not previously seen the light of day. In other words, it's a chance for fans who missed the limited run of the demo to now hold in their hands a complete collection of the Chicago bands recorded output.

If you'd been privy to the band's prior releases, then it would not surprise you to hear that their monolithic, morbid tones were already well established for the 1994 Visions from the Gods demo, which is included here in all its unglory. Just compare this to the demo of almost any other cult black or thrash metal act, and come away stunned by how dark and bold they sounded. Two of these tracks, "Deep in the Forest" and "Dusk" had been released also as a part of the debut album Diabolosis, so this runs the risk of some limited redundancy, but if you're deep into some obsession for this band, you probably appreciate having them here in their early form. The other tracks, "Soulstalker" and "Visions from the Gods" are both excellent, simple affairs that run parallel to the debut material, and they've also included a 1996 'upgrade' to "Soulstalker" which delivers and even more forceful punishment.

The goods do not end here! You get a demo version of the track "Anno Satanas" which appeared on the Headbangers Against Disco Vol. 2 7" (along with Swedish bands Unpure and Nifelheim). Truly a phenomenal song, with a manly, distant chant mirroring Diabolical Slaughter's libation to Tom G. Warrior. Continuing a trend they started with the Threshold of the Usurper EP, you get another cover of everyone's favorite Dane, only here it's his work in King Diamond rather than Mercyful Fate. "Charon" is culled from the excellent Fatal Portrait album, and once again they make it their own, with huger chugging guitars. Does it lose a little of the original's grace? Sure, but Usurper are all about taking grace and shoving it where the sun don't shine. There's also an alternate, super fuzzy version of "Wolflord" from the Skeletal Season album, and a crushing, unreleased track called "Bonefire" which reeks of sheer barbarity, especially when Slaughter erupts into that guttural vocal. Rounding out the grisly festivities, a live track, "Warriors of Iron and Rust" (the studio version would be found on Necronemesis), which, though distant, sounds like the band were pretty tight that night.

Visions from the Gods is not necessarily a complete value, but it's on par if not better than many other compilations of a similar nature, because it does offer a few tidbits you haven't heard before, and in most cases, they are pretty good. I am especially partial to "Soulstalker '96" and "Bonefire", but it's also cool to have the original demo. If you enjoyed any of the band's work up to this point, love Usurper, and don't mind shelling out some money and getting a few tracks you've already heard mixed in with a King Diamond cover, alternate versions and an unreleased tune, then go on and cough it up. Otherwise, the bread is better spent on one of the studio albums, or the Threshold of the Usurper EP.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Threshold of the Usurper EP (1997)

I wouldn't have thought it possible that a band like Usurper could actually get any heavier, but after signing to Necropolis records to produce this follow-up EP to Diabolosis, the Chicago crushers were more than eager to render any such doubts obsolete. What's more, this material bears slightly less of the direct Hellhammer influence found on the debut. It still exists in both the vocals and music, but the band commit such a primal, pulverizing crime against humanity here that they've taken the weight of their forefathers to a new level of extremity. I can only imagine on some grim battlefield, the sound of tank treads tap dancing on human bones would sound somewhat similar to this dense, uncaring, unholy mess.

The bass is thick like a pungent tomb of oppression and despair, and the guitars sound even more punk and hideous than the original Apocalyptic Raids. "Slavehammer" sounds like something that might have occured if Hellhammer had arrived AFTER the death and black metal movements went into full swing, while "Necrocult, Part 1 (The Metal War)" is pretty much a pure, thrusting black blade that caresses the night with the blood of its latest victim. "The Dead of Winter" is a morbid, atmospheric horror with these thick acoustic guitars that reverberate through the dense mesh of chugging force. The band's cover of Mercyful Fate's "Black Funeral" is nearly as creepy and mesmerizing as the original, but made wholly fit to preach upon the heathen pulpit that is Usurper. Lastly, the 14:20 closer "Threshold of the Usurper" ranges from terse, storming doom to rampant, ghoulish black metal and then back again, pausing at its center for haunting atmospherics and samples of vile chanting.

With over 34 minutes of music, Threshold of the Usurper could just as well have been a full length follow-up to Diabolosis and nobody would have complained. There is a reissue of this from 2008 which includes even more material, so if you're on the market you will get more value out of that. Like the debut album, the mix on this material is so mighty that it loses nothing to age, an unrelenting brute of awful anguish and creepy torment. Like the debut debut album, it deserves a place in the collection of any who seek the morbid fascination and cryptic taste of raw, abhorrent musical flesh.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (scripture that can't be lost)

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Diabolosis (1995)

There are a number of veteran bands who have carried forth the torch of Hellhammer/Celtic Frost's brand of unique and formative black, thrash and doom metal, with all its massive, sludgy bombast, and Tom G. Warrior styled vocal constipation. Brazil's Apocalyptic Raids are essentially a carbon copy of the Swiss legend; the German tyrants of Warhammer also come strikingly close; and in America, we've got our own tribute, Usurper, who are probably named for the Celtic Frost song appearing on To Mega Therion. Of these bands, I feel like Usurper has always been the most interesting. The influence is immense, and unmistakable, especially on the band's 1995 debut Diabolosis, but even in these waking years I feel like this was a beast who would attempt to channel the masters into new transgressions of sonic barbarity.

This is a pretty serious sounding record, with a darker theme and tone than some of its successors. The band had not yet entirely embraced their love of kitsch horror and crypto folklore, thus there is a bleaker, harrowing aesthetic to be had here. The guitars of Rick Scythe are wholly primal and crunchy, but he's not afraid to throw in some bizarre, slow grooves to separate some of the denser, metallic riffing. The production is cavernous, and remains strangely vivid and relevant even in comparison to most modern recordings. The band also make use of ritual and horror samples to great effect, and gong like crashing that once again reminds one of Celtic Frost (the best example of this is the closing "Dusk"). It's a monstrous debut, and one that landed them some international attention due to its release on respected underground European label Head Not Found.

Of course, an album like this runs to the risk of being labeled a soulless 'rip off', and at its core, it is hardly some font of originality. But to sell it short would be to miss out on something pretty special, especially hailing from a Midwest scene in the 90s that was almost gouged to the gullet on forgettable, brutal death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation. In addition to General Diabolical Slaughter's more grueling take on Warrior, the band also incorporate some black snarls, as in the storming opener "Hypnotic Void". They can take a bleak, dark ambient tangent with "The Infernal Storm", which features some howling samples alongside Jon Necromancer's plump, bone chewing bass tones. But most of the time, they will simply rock your face off with a doomed certainly, using riffs that would take no competent guitarist more than a few minutes to compose, yet slay regardless. I'm speaking of "The Ruins of Gomorrah" with its crushing, sparse muted momentum beyond the 2:00 mark. Or of the ghastly, morbid "Full Moon Harvest", which rolls along with some condensed, bluesy ballast, like a black metal sludge alternative to Danzig. "Nulla Sallus Extra Eccelcium" and "Diabolosis" are others that continue to crush 15 years into their existence.

Usurper was a working band, who gave us well over a decade of disgust without once selling out, once complaining that they weren't somehow more successful, and playing honest and hard when and where they could, with a good number of tours. They are a metal man's metal, in stark opposition to the technical extravagance that many younger artists have forced to 'evolve' their genres. Diabolosis is a great debut that channels the weight of Hellhammer, the grime and blasphemy of Venom, and the punkish violence that spawned Mayhem into a memorable black abyss, and it remains one of the band's most lasting punishments.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal

Usurper - Skeletal Season (1999)

I'll admit it took me some years to come to an appreciation of Chicago's Usurper, but once arriving, I never left the terminal. Usurper is not a band that creates catchy metal-of-the-week. Their material simultaneously offers tribute to the early masters (Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Venom, etc) while forging a rather brutal path of its own. Big, chunky and unforgiving, Skeletal Season is one of those records that you come away thinking 'that was heavy as fuck'.

The band can hammer out slower paced, meaty aggression such as the opener "Shadowfiend" with its crusty Tom G. Warrior-inspired vocals, and then switch it up to a mix of black snarls and death grunts in "Dismal Wings of Terror". The rhythms are always composed simply, but little more is needed. The grandiose bludgeoning of the loud guitars fuzzed out to overdrive evokes more charisma than could be crafted through technical riffing. Title track "Skeletal Season" crunches forth a yawning, morbid doom over the minimal, sparse drumming. A 2-year old could write this song, yet...it fucking BRUISES like an outtake from Apocalyptic Raids once it picks up the pace. "Embrace of the Dead" creates grinding doom with guitars that sound slightly, charmingly out of tune. "Prowling Death (the Demigoddess)" creates a forward thrust like the grate of an 18-wheeler being introduced to your forehead at about 65mph. "Cemetarian" is another monument to crushing, sludgy black thrash metal, with some nice verse breaks where the distorted bass plods along effectively. "Brimstone Fist" is the blackest, most driving track on the record, and it all ends with "Wolflord", another Celtic Frost-inspired piece. Lyrically, the album is highly influenced by horror, sci-fi and nostalgia (similar to the Misfits but a little more supernatural).

Cemetery slaves
Children transfixed in horror
Lurking from the trees
At one with night's dead breeze

Mothman...
Descend your terror from the sky
Mothman...
Terrorizing human life

The mix of the album is loud and obnoxious, and it honestly wouldn't function any other way. The band did mature a little with later albums like Twilight Dominion and Cryptobeast, and those are arguably more memorable than this or the debut Diabolisis. However, there is a charm to the band's early discography which far predates the modern wave of retro worship. Surely, Usurper wore its influences on its sleeve, far before it was cool to do so. They were a consistent band in both the studio and their live performances, and an authentic footnote in the American metal landscape that will be missed (though they still perform on occasion).

Verdict: Win [8/10] (rabid as a dog of war, hatred fucking me insane)

http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal