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Yet another brutish addition to British death metal’s burgeoning scene, this debut mini-album from Kent’s Infected Dead takes a visceral approach to the genre’s hallmarks with modern craft and a polished production with just enough rust left on the blade. The title track revels in guttural stabs before indulging in showboating guitar histrionics and even a bass flourish for good measure. Yet dwelling underneath the barrage of screams and jackhammer drums is a host of deformed hooks, rising to sink their fangs deep through the multi-paced stomp of Resurrectionist and the grotesque majesty of Invocation Of Unspeakable Gods. After the opening ominous barrage of Forced Existence a titanic riff steamrollers everything in its path ready for the dual guitars to sweep in and hold dominion. Frankly the only gripe is that at six songs Archaic Malevolence leaves you craving more.

Rugby, Sean Bean and power ballad superfan Adam has been writing for Hammer since 2007, and has a bad habit of constructing sentences longer than most Dream Theater songs. Can usually be found cowering at the back of gigs in Bristol and Cardiff. Bruce Dickinson once called him a 'sad bastard'.