A few things that grabbed me right off the bat were the marked improvement in production quality and the strength and energy in the vocals has been multiplied tenfold. Each aspect probably has something to do with each other, but at any rate, my enthusiasm for this new record was kicked into high gear mere minutes into my first listen.

Now, typically the progress from debut to the sophomore album in this style of metal can be somewhat absent and just “more of the same.” Not so in the case of “Violent Ambitions.” For starters, the drumming is absolutely superb. Ultra precise and extremely technical. Nothing bombastic or pretentious, just highly skilled and perfectly executed. This time around, the songs are more catchy with tons of little hooks added all over the place, yet are even more aggressive and angry which is amazing to me seeing how an increase in one of those facets generally seems to count for the decrease in the other. Well, Sinate has found a way to do both. Then come the blistering solos. Just when it might seem like “Violent Ambitions” took the clean, straightforward avenue in the songwriting department, an awesomely wild solo will rip through the speakers.

Lyrically, well… these guys are pissed off. No sugar coating here, “Violent Ambitions” is ten tracks of anger and whoever set these guys off is in for a world of hurt. Highlight tracks for me are no doubt, “Mental Darkness,” “Prekill,” “Spineless,” and “Pain Blood Death.”

Overall, Sinate once again has breathed life into the over-saturated world of cookie cutter death metal with their incredibly energetic and no bullshit approach. As I said the first time around, the world of death metal needs more Sinate.