Only a few bands in the history of extreme metal have ever managed to lay down the heavy sonic destruction like Midwestern death gods Cianide have done. But no longer can Cianide’s accomplishments be spoken of in the past tense, for the trio’s first release in eight years, a staggeringly powerful EP dubbed Unhumanized, drops today.

With a number of mandatory full lengths under their name already, guitarist Scott Carroll, bassist/vocalist Mike Perun, and drummer Andy Kuizin maintain their legacy with this latest effort for rolling out death/doom bangers at once massive and agile. With the wrecking ball to the solar plexus opener that is “Serpent’s Wake,” Cianide immediately destroy any doubt in the listener’s mind regarding their modern relevance. By the time “Shadow of the Claw” starts to rain down on your head, burying you in doomed-out riffs and slamming toms, there won’t be much of you left, but whatever remains will surely worship Unhumanized.

“Thanks Decibel for streaming the new mini album,” says Scott Carroll. “It’s been a while since we desecrated your ears, but the more things change the more they stay the same. Hope a few of you will enjoy this latest death metal attack from Chicago. We may be getting older and better looking but the spite remains the same. Grab a twelve pack and blast this loud . . . Metal Never Bends!”

Unhumanized

Unhumanized by CIANIDE