Skarp's blend of crust, grindcore, metal and punk, dubbed "Blackout Grind", quickly gets juices flowing and hearts racing. There's a jagged, skin-filleting edge to Skarp's style and sound, enhanced here by cover artwork from Impaled's Ross Sewage and production by Billy Anderson (known for his work with Neurosis, Sleep and Ludicra). It's rough, raw and unpredictable stuff. Anderson doesn't do a lot of knob twisting, but his subtleties, including the overly distorted bass drum and buried vocals, will lead you to believe that something truly wicked has been unleashed upon the Earth.

After the chilling, piano-filled opener "Intro", Requiem launches into pure chaos. The title track's booming bass drum leads you down a black metal path until female vocalist Renae Betts steps in, injecting unabashed hardcore fury into the mix. "Carrion"'s brisk tirade of vitriolic vocals and aggro drumming sets the mood immediately: it's a poignant, eye-opening introduction to Skarp's grizzly musical attack. The quartet thrashes through "The Plague", sounding like Show No Mercy-era Slayer. Betts's deathly growls could be compared to Otep Shamaya, but the group forgoes her arty pretension for a more belligerent, in-your-face showdown.

Skarp's extremist musical tendencies are best demonstrated on "Feed the Addiction": the hardcore anthem brings to mind early-day DRI, as the hyperspeed playing practically trips over itself. There are points when the drums, bass and guitar are reduced to a distorted blur, over which Betts blurts monosyllabic sentiments. It's extremist in nature, but nonetheless a glorious display of the band's ability to blend multiple genres into a piercing silver bullet of Blackout Grind.

Bonus tracks include three tunes from Skarp's self-titled seven-inch and another two from the band's split with Human Error. "Fuck Your Bad Day" wins the prize for most direct communiqué: Betts yells the title over a blur of unbelievably speedy drums and guitars, leaving little doubt as to Skarp's musical manifesto.