The eight tracks on Ape Uprising paint Slough Feg as heavy metal's missing link. On the one hand, the band displays knack for fiery melodies and rousing sing-alongs befitting even the most powerful of classic metal. On the other, they dabble in levels of technicality and extremity more in line with modern metal. Well-suited for a niche role, Slough Feg is the perfect adaptation of a primeval sound.

Album opener "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," for example, taps into the same plodding doom Black Sabbath first conjured up in 1968. "Overborne," meanwhile, speeds up the tempo with a swift charge of NWOBHM covered in grit and soaked in sweat.

Tribal drums open up the album's title track, revealing vistas of rhythmic heavy metal swaying like war torches on a windy night. Leads stab and parry, trading blows behind frontman Mike Scalzi's majestic howls. What follows is a massive epic, the likes of which blazes through its kaleidoscopic ten minutes with blistering solos and tumultuous riffing. Ending with a one last charge of guitar glory, "Ape Uprising" is the album's undisputed masterpiece.

Following this, the boisterous "Simian Manifesto" provides listeners with gigantic leads backing a confrontational anthem. Gradually working its way into frenzy, the song unleashes a stampede which starts and stops on a dime. After this, "Shakedown at the Six" cleans up the mess with a relentless, oldschool rocker begging for a group of rowdy metalheads.

"White Cousin" provides the album's sole breather, mixing anathemic Celtic folk with glittering guitar melodies. As mesmerizing notes soar above, rumbling percussion provides the song with a meaty backbone. If this one doesn't get feet tapping, it will get heads banging.

Last but not least, the one-two punch of "Ape Outro" and "Nasty Hero" finishes the album with an outright aural assault. If any listener remains unconvinced by this point, "Ape Outro" should break the siege with its incredible solos and careening guitar dive bombs. For its part, "Nasty Hero" is a slice of joy which melds swinging grooves with Scalzi's inviting, hypnotic vocals. Smooth yet gruff, it is like the last draught of Irish beer after last call.

Primitive yet powerful, Ape Uprising inks another compelling chapter not just for Slough Feg but heavy metal as a whole. The definition of timeless, Slough Feg's latest adds another layer to classic metal's resounding echo.