World Downfall is by far one of the most devastating and influential grind albums in existence, so it’s a damn shame that Darker Days Ahead was an atrocious flop. Unlike Darker Days’ ugly guitar tone, uninspired songwriting, and lack of enthusiasm, Hordes of Zombies returns to form with a slightly different, but still masterful approach.

It’s impossible to fill the shoes of the late Jesse Pintado, but new guitarist Katina Culture does a great job on the album. The riffing style is much thrashier, opposed to Pintado’s all out grind/groove oriented riffs, but the thrashy riffs fit TERRORIZER nicely, especially having Pete “Commando” Sandoval return behind the kit, with his trademark blasting in tact. The biggest difference on Hordes of Zombies is that the catchy, short surges of groove that was so prevalent in World Downfall is not as noticeable, but the overall feeling of the album is still definitely “TERRORIZER.”

The title track begins the album proper with a midpaced groove and familiar vocal pattern style seen before. Anthony Rezhawk emulates original singer, Oscar Garcia, to perfection with short bursts of lyrics throughout the songs. Tracks like “Subterfuge” and “Evolving Era” have nice blast beats with a spectacle of thrashy, headbanging riffs intermingling throughout.

“Ignorance and Apathy” has a KRISIUN-like feel to the beginning, while tracks like “Radiation Syndrome” and “Flesh to Dust” continue the brutality. All tracks within Hordes of Zombies flow nicely, and “Generation Chaos” even has a short melodic passage in between all the blasts and fury. “Forward to Annihilation” never lets up, and the high octane closer, “A Dying Breed” finishes this energetic, fresh sounding album.

It’s a shame that MORBID ANGEL chose to record their new album without Pete Sandoval, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, as Hordes of Zombies certainly lays Illud Divinum Insanus to waste. That being said, the only grind bands you need to pay attention to these days are LOCK UP and TERRORIZER. (Season of Mist)