Band:	Dying Fetus
Album:	Reign Supreme
Style:	Brutal death metal, Technical death metal
Release date:	June 19, 2012
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Invert The Idols
02. Subjected To A Beating
03. Second Skin
04. From Womb To Waste
05. Dissidence
06. In The Trenches
07. Devout Atrocity
08. Revisionist Past
09. The Blood Of Power
10. Dead Whores Love To Fuck [deluxe edition bonus]

Legendary death metal veterans Dying Fetus are back with their most appropriately titled album to date: Reign Supreme. Not unusually different from their traditional war/gore themes, this time around the title applies more to what the band is doing as opposed to what they want to do.

That's my verbose way of saying these guys are at the top of the food chain, and this album only further establishes that reputation.

Having released Descend Into Depravity back in 2009, fans and newcomers alike were injected with a new-found sense of interest in the band. With a rejuvenated audience and slightly altered focus, Reign Supreme comes with its fair share of expectations - expectations that are more than met.

John Gallagher has done an amazing job throughout the years keeping his band relevant, interesting, and above all else, consistent. While the grindcore elements have faded in recent years, the band's technical prowess has improved drastically and their songs flow in a much more mature sense, the result of a seemingly more focused thought process. This album is no different, displaying some of the band's most technical songs to date while never straying from their traditional crushing brutality. In typical Fetus fashion, Reign Supreme is ripe with catchy hooks, crushing breakdowns, and features a few ripping guitar solos scattered randomly throughout.

In spite of being "limited" to a trio, these guys know how to use their instruments in a complementary manner, playing off each other's skill set to create all-encompassing abrasive music - pleasant to some, yet dreadful to others. While the relentless brutality and groove-infused riffs make for some merciless vulgar death metal, this album may just be the most accessible Fetus release to date. Songs like "Revisionist Past" even include some melodious soloing, while standout tracks such as "Subjected to a Beating" and "From Womb to Waste" feature some insanely catchy riffs. Of course, you get your typical filler moments as is common with most brutal death metal releases, but they are few and far between this time around, making for a fulfilling and rewarding listen.