CMXCIX is the debut album from a five-piece, Melodic Death Metal band from Finland, Survivors Zero. Survivors Zero is the brainchild of Sami Jamsen, and he’s brought together with him a great group of musicians to create one of the most brutal and melodic, death metal albums of the year!

CMXCIX is not at all for the faint of heart, and listeners beware, because this album never lets up. Each song brings as much intensity and brutality as the song before it. There is literally not one “slow” song on the album. Also, for a debut album, and death metal album at that, CMXCIX is one of the best sounding albums I’ve heard in a while in terms of production! Each aspect of each song is very well mixed, so that nothing gets left out, nor drowned out.

“Embrace the Inferno” starts the album with 2 seconds of white noise, and then kicks in like a wrecking ball right to your skull! From here on out the album is a thrill ride all the way to the end. There’s a lot I liked in this first song, from the insanely fast beating of the skins, to the catchy melodic guitar riff that is played along side with growling vocals that match the brutality and intensity of the music being played.

“Armageddon Cult” is up next and it starts off with a really catchy, head-bobbing guitar riff, and once the rest of the band kicks in, the song just explodes. This track is as brutal as can be. Listening to this one made me want to destroy everything in my proximity, and then be proud of my destruction! After this song, I knew I was going to enjoy what was in store for me from the rest of the album.

“Lucifer Effect” starts off with a bang leaving your eardrums in tiny little pieces, and then goes into an almost eerie song that’ll cause you to be looking over your shoulder for something bad to happen. Yet the only thing that happens is the album carries on, and continues to abuse you with its constant brutality! Don’t let that fool you though, because there are some great melodic guitar segments to go right along with the brutal guitar riffs, and lightning fast, thundering drums.

Another highlight from CMXCIX is “Scavengers of Christ,” which contains the best guitar solo from the entire album, and a speed that is not equally matched.

If you’re a death metal fan, this album is an absolute must for your cd collection! Fans of Arch Enemy, At the Gates, and Testament definitely wouldn’t be disappointed as there are some similarities, not to mention the fact that two of these are listed as influences for Survivors Zero. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this album and 100 percent recommend that the metal masses out there give this a listen!

4.5/5