This week, the new lp, Cellar Dweller, from Texas’ d-beat masters Impalers dropped on 540 Records in the US and Static Shock in Europe and holy hell is it a monster. The band – consisting of members of Mammoth Grinder, Hatred Surge, Power Trip, Vaaska, and Glue – has created their most punishing music to date, upping the ante in both aggressiveness and scope from their earlier material. While the obvious touchstone for Impalers remains Swedish d-beat, namely Anti-Cimex, Cellar Dweller is full of Motorhead inspired riffs and plenty of extreme metal influences – Celtic Frost, the thrash metal of Venom, etc. These elements hit harder than ever before especially on the album’s standout track, “Technology,” whose tempo shifts and pinpoint control of its numerous elements creates a song-of-the-year contender. “Nuclear Cabaret” follows up with a killer opening riff that builds and builds into an epic thrasher highlighting not only the impeccable drumming that is ever-present but also Chris Ulsh’s rabid vocals. Cellar Dweller is 17 unrelenting minutes of the best hardcore 2017 has yet to offer up – and a fitting companion to this year’s fantastic Power Trip album, Nightmare Logic.