BLACK ANVIL, Time Insults the Mind (2008, Relapse)

The skull:
Rendered simply in the style of a woodcutting, the skull is properly front-and-center, huge, and stupid (although perhaps not literally: this extra-fat skull must have housed an extra-large brain.) Bonus points for the hourglass (a side obsession of both Friars) on its pate. Additional credit must be given for allowing the skull to cover the logo in places. Black Anvil are clearly a band who take their skulls very seriously.

The music:
Formed by a trio of hardcore veterans from NYC, Black Anvil offer a crusty, blackened update on Venom. As might be expected, they fail somewhat in capturing the absolutely punishing attack of their live performances on disc, but this EP is still a solid and enjoyable listen, and a good warmup to their even better full length debut.
– Friar Johnsen