It does seem a little strange that this EP is the first that readers of this site have seen covered from these London-based brutalists, most famously known for performing in an air-tight box in 2014 as part of a modern art exhibit, released as their air ran out. Obviously the band have survived and thrived, releasing two well-received full-lengths since then, and Decennium Ruinae ('the ruins of a decade') is a solid stopgap and a great place to jump into a pretty solid discography for those that enjoy brutal yet technical death metal.

Not, after all, named after what may happen to cryptocurrency fans a few months from now, Unfathomable Ruination play a technical form of brutal death not a million miles away from the Benighteds and Aborteds of the world, if a little heavier and less filled with hooks. Their brand of death metal is closer to plain, brutal battering as opener Suspended in Entropic Dissipation shows from the start with its near six minute pounding. It's full of breakdowns and the usual sort of brutal bells and whistles, yet remains razor-sharp thanks to a compellingly effective production that gives the instruments extra edge.

Sure, in terms of songwriting six minutes is a long runtime for a song of this genre, and the band would probably have done better with two songs of half that length. The most savage, Defeated Sanity-esque track present is the unrelenting The Great Contaminator, which throws wave after wave of sound at the listener, culminating in a wild burst of soloing. Yet even for a fan of the style, this is a relentless, downright samey assault that even the touch of melodic ambience to the opening of finale Disciples of Pestilence can't quite shake. Not for beginners, perhaps, but those whose ears are accustomed and desensitised to brutal death will find Unfathomable Ruination a name to enjoy.