"Headbanging fury of the highest order" -- that's a neat little summary of HDK's 2009 offering, the appropriately titled System Overload.

Everything is cranked to ten throughout, but with the vocals often veering off into melodic territory, System Overload cannot be considered a true extreme metal release (although their full name, Hate Death Kill, has "extreme metal" written all over it).

A side project led by guitarist Sander Gommans, who can most often be spotted as a member of Dutch goth metallists After Forever, HDK are full of crushing riffs, precise drumming, and swirling electronics -- with vocals that alternate between growled and almost Sebastian Bach-like at times.

Things get off to a smashing (literally) start with the album-opening title track, and don't let up throughout the rest of the hard-hitting album.