This is simply a very impressive slab of melodic, nineties-style death/thrash with a slightly progressive flavor. I’m won’t harp on about the Death comparisons as they were surely made upon release of the Delyria’s 2006 demo At The Wane Of The Sun, which served as a promising introduction to these young Italians. This new EP is a very impressive follow-up to that first effort – it’s a solid little collection of songs played with venom and a tasty production job. Delyria’s sound recalls the melodic, forward-thinking death metal that fans of latter-day Death and Pestilence will probably appreciate, although there’s a far greater emphasis on no-nonsense thrash riffing with these guys, as well as grooves that might even prick the ears of metalcore kids. Sound good? Then read on.

From the moment Tales From My Abyss begins with “Engraved In A Web Of Hate”, the first thing to strike you is the thunderous energy with which Delyria play. This opening salvo is a fast and furious number, all American thrash riffs and double kicks yet laced with melodic, decidedly European flourishes in the dueling guitars. For most of the songs on this EP, it’s energetic thrash with melodic death metal leanings and strong solos. However, there is some interesting variation along the way, such as on “Oriental Sin”, with its mid-paced chug and off-kilter interludes bringing to mind post-Human Death. Then there’s my personal favorite “Eternal Slave Of The Mirror”, which kicks off with a 90’s Floridian feel ala Malevolent Creation before shifting into an awesome, groovy slowdown that would put a lot of the breakdown-reliant metalcore clones to shame.

Delyria have put together a supremely enjoyable release in Tales From My Abyss. Although stylistically it’s something of a throwback to the early nineties, there really isn’t a lot of this style on offer these days so if you consider yourself a fan of the era, seek this one out. The music on this disc is played with the kind of passion and energy that can only come from youth, but these guys are smart songsmiths too, and have pretty much covered all their bases. It should also be noted that the Schuldiner-on-helium screams and growls of vocalist Andrea are a real asset to the band, and help set Delyria apart. Tales From My Abyss is fast, heavy, catchy and simply a lot of fun to listen to. Was there anything else you wanted?