As someone who was a fan of Spineshank in 2000 around the time of their second album, 'Height Of Callousness', which I loved, I was curious to hear just what this album would entail. Having split in 2004 and reformed again in 2008, 'Anger, Denial, Acceptance' once again sees the classic line-up of Jonny Santos on vocals, Mike Sarkisyan on guitar/piano, Robert Garcia on bass/backing vocals and Tommy Decker drums/keyboards.

My biggest concern was, due to the fact that my own personal tastes have become more extreme with age, whether there would be enough of an in your face element to satisfy my current tastes. Thankfully, despite being more melodic with a much larger proportion of clean vocals, the anger, passion and harshness of Jonny's vocal screams, always the thing I loved the most about the band, are still there in abundance.

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The band's first album in nine years, 'Anger, Denial, Acceptance' is a progression in the band's sound and the intensity of their earlier albums is still present. Also a lot has gone into the making of this album, the band having worked on it for the last four years, since their reformation.

It is still a mixture of heavy songs and melody, as with their older albums and Spineshank are still a predominantly Nu Metal band sound wise, however they have kept their finger on the pulse of what's current and have modified and updated their sound accordingly.

So getting to the album content, there are thirteen tracks of quality music, some tracks serving as reflective interludes, some quite melodic but a good few sufficiently face ripping to keep my extreme goat afloat.

Opening 'After The End' is an up tempo number that is a good mix of anger and melody. Next is 'Nothing Left For Me', a song about losing people that you care about, slower and more melodic but lyrically dark, a catchy song that grows on you.

Despite being another one of the more melodic tracks I enjoyed 'The Endless Disconnect' because it was also catchy and I absolutely loved 'I Am Damage', a totally in my face track.

'Ploratio Morbus' is an instrumental interlude which breaks the album up nicely and 'Everything Everyone Everywhere Ends' is another track I loved, again in my face with angry vocals, as was 'The Reckoning' which was also brimming with anger and passion, another one of the faster numbers.

The short but sweet 'God Complex (Anger)' does what it says on the label. It's up tempo with angry vocals, splendid.

For the final two tracks, 'Motive Method Opportunity (Denial)' and 'Exit Wounds (Acceptance)' the sound becomes more melodic again giving a relaxing end to the album.

Although I have grown old and extreme in my musical tastes, there is no denying the quality of this album. It is well written and performed, the production is polished and the time taken in its making is very apparent.

If this is just a walk down memory lane for me well surely that's a good thing as for certain I need the exercise.

'Anger, Denial, Acceptance' is out now on Century Media.

3.7.12