Concussion Symphony, the debut release from South Florida's Cyst, is something that thrash metal has needed for quite some time, a swift kick in the ass. As mainstream metal continues to take elements of thrash and death metal and make them boring, Cyst reminds us why underground metal is great. This release is a brilliant mixture of the aggression of modern metal, the brutality of death metal, and the blistering speed of thrash metal of days gone by. Dan Ortega has a vocal style that is definitely reminiscent of Slayer's Tom Araya at times, but changes style often, bringing in styles from deep death metal growls, to the blisteringly fast styles of hardcore punk. Kyle and Mike, also have an unmistakable influence by Slayer, playing crisp, fast, tight riffs, but definitely have a style that is all Cyst. Dean Piekara has quite the challenge of keeping up on bass with the blistering pace of his guitarist counterparts, but does a masterful job. The drumming on Concussion Symphony is done a drummer no long