Towards the end of This Is Hell’s active years, it was clear the band was moving in a direction that polarized its original fan base. At shows, fans would call for tracks like ‘Permanence’ and ‘The Polygraph Cheaters’ while the band was more interested in playing material from Black Mass. Listening back through their discography, this shift began when Rick Jiminez took over backing vocals and was a more prominent songwriter after the departure of Jeff Tiu following Sundowning. This transition formally crystallized with the genesis of Extinction A.D. in 2013 and one could argue became fully realized with 2015’s Faithkiller.

Faithkiller features the latest lineup of This Is Hell with Rick Jiminez taking over lead vocals in place of Travis Reilly. Their sound is straight from 80s thrash metal with a healthy punk rock energy that keeps the brisk pace consistent throughout. The sound of Extinction AD builds upon the direction This Is Hell was heading in with Black Mass, but shows definite growth in both strong structure and technicality. Not once does this album slow down which can be both its attraction and a downside.

The record opens with a quick melodic guitar solo highlighting one of the strengths throughout this album. The opening track contains a taste of what’s to come – gang vocals, chugging guitars, and breakdowns impossible not to bang your head too. Standouts include the crushing onslaught of guitars in “Instruments of Death” which immediately calls the listener to attention. The breakneck guitar riff on “Faithkiller” sounds like Pantera after a healthy mix of black coffee.

The sound is consistent throughout the duration of Faithkiller, if not a little too consistent. The first half of the album tends to blur a bit, until they reach the middle giving the listener some room to breathe and appreciate all that’s going on including the ride cymbal driven breakdown closing out “Crisis Indefinite.” The album succeeds most when the band leaves the comfort of traditional thrash metal and adds elements of hardcore and melodic death metal.

One of the standout features of Faithkiller is the production from I Am The Avalanche’s Brett Romnes. The crisp sound allows the technicality of Mike Sciulara’s drumming to really shine, from the double bass pedals driving through the album to the fills that transition the pieces of the songs together. Often times, these get lost in similar minded albums, but the production here compliments all elements of good thrash metal – blistering guitar solos, bass drum gallups, and a strong low-end that never gets too muddy.

Faithkiller will go down as a solid debut album from a band of constant road warriors. They have the tightness and technicality down, next will come the comfort to abandon a formula they’ve perfected. It’s clear they are comfortable in their own skin, but listeners will be better served when they shed it and grow the strong foundation they’ve laid here.