Over the last few years, New Zealand has added “hotbed of ruthless metal” to its list of international identifiers, offsetting the nerdy yang of Peter Jackson’s checkbook with an appropriately dark yin. Diocletian, like their mates (who include the related Witchrist), create quite a clatter, often sounding like two opposing forces meeting on the battlefield. Gesundrian’s mass of blasts and all-buzzing-everything is staffed by the most brutish elements of death metal and black metal, frothing with a blinding berserker fury. But, like Nuclearhammer, war metal’s other standout from this year, the band chooses their moves carefully, getting the most out of their comparatively simplistic sections. As with Diocletian’s previous two LPs, Gesundrian is armed with an arsenal of old weapons, but the way Diocletian swings them is what accounts for the heavy damage. –Ian [LISTEN]