Insanity, Darkane's follow-up to Rusted Angel, shares much in common with its predecessor despite Darkane's lineup shift.

Daniel Bergstrand once again was given control of the recording console, giving Insanity the producer's trademark concussive sound.

Peter Wildoer's instrumental abuse drives the music thanks to Bergstrand's massive drum sound and punchy mixes.

And as with Lawrence Mackrory before, new vocalist Andreas Sydow has only a marginal impact.

Sydow's more controlled bellowing might strike some as an improvement, but it's the thrash-influenced Swedish death riffing that makes Darkane interesting.

There are many moments of near-virtuoso accomplishment and athleticism but, as often happens with music this intense, the songcraft is practically nonexistent.

Darkane just shreds its way through one riff after the next, knowing that it will take most of the listener's energy just to aurally digest the band's aggression, leaving Sydow's shouting and the occasional melodic guitar blast almost irrelevant.

None of it seems to mean anything even in the remotest of terms, so while musicians and listeners impressed with pure chops might enjoy Insanity, many casual listeners might not enjoy the abuse.

Like its bland title, this instinctive release would have benefited from some thoughtful preparation, especially with regard to songwriting.