HECATE is one of the latest in the spew of Death Metal bands erupting out of Italy over the last decade or so. Being just 19 minutes long in its entirety, their debut release ?Ultima Specie? does not mess around; it launches the listener straight into an auditory onslaught of Death Metal mixed with a bit of Grindcore. After a perfunctory and highly distorted intro, you are directly catapulted into a veritable quagmire of brutal, violent riffage, demonical drumming, and guttural vocals which make up the title track, and which lasts just over one and a half minutes. Overall, ?Ultima Specie? is exactly what you would want out of a Death Metal album; it is vile, aggressive, relentless, ugly, and unforgiving. With the album being mastered by Marco Mastrobuono, the same guy who has worked on releases from well-known bands such as HOUR OF PENNANCE, you know you will be getting a barrage of brutality. And whilst there is perhaps nothing highly original about ?Ultima Specie?, it is nevertheless a work of pure ruthlessness and viciousness. at the end of it, the listener is left with the distinct impression that if sound could mutilate, then humanity would be exterminated and their rotting corpses consigned to a cesspit. ?Ultima Specie? is a strong debut and a solid first step for a band that can really aim to a strong and interesting career!