Five years after reuniting, following a lengthy hiatus, Vomitory are still more brutal than the rest. Death metal was never meant to be complicated, and while there’s a lot to be said for the genre’s dissonant and progressive wings, the veteran Swedes make an overwhelming case for nailing the basics. This is a tour de force of unrelenting violence, delivered with utmost precision. The opening title track sets the tone, with three and a half minutes of murderous, light-speed perfection and the reassuring sound of Erik Rundqvist belching up his blackened soul. Everything that follows is of equal quality, but Decrowned and Piece By Stinking Piece stand out as particularly satisfying chunks of pestilent gore. Vomitory’s razor-sharp blend of old-school songwriting and ultramodern production power is largely without peer right now. This is a near-perfect death metal record. ■■■■■■■■■□