Ninth Realm from the US erupt on the scene with a scathing form of death/thrash metal music bearing influences of hardcore and heavy metal, with a slight blackened edge. The songs are elaborately constructed, each with their share of hooks and breakdowns in addition to effective and memorable riffing. The music takes a narrative process pertaining to their original dark fantasy world, Tythorin, while being intense and violent for the most part. They draw from the classic old school death/thrash sound without sounding too derivative, in large part due to their heavy metal-inspired songwriting approach. “Damnation’s Veil” is a fascinating, expressive, and most importantly, exciting album that is sure to please fans of the classic death/thrash sound as well as those who dig well-written, nuanced, and invigorating extreme metal music in general.