MAN MUST DIE's Relapse debut "The Human Condition" opens with a mournful, almost Goth-Metal riff (think early TIAMAT), going right into "Silent Observer", which rages on like a junior MISERY INDEX; almost as much political rage, but with more juvenile phony-tough posturing (lyric reads "I Don't Give a Fuck About You!") worthy of a LAMB OF GOD scored beer-blast. The rest of the album follows suit.

It's tough to imagine MAN MUST DIE having a record deal with Relapse if the label hadn't already signed a similar (and superior) act in MISERY INDEX. MAN MUST DIE has the style almost down to a T, as evident in tracks like "March of the Clones", "Suicide Gene", "Waster", and the rest. The whole album feels like a Muppet Babies version of "Discordia" (MISERY INDEX's Relapse debut from last year), and the layout doesn't exactly help matters. They try to mix it up with some Swedish Melodies here and there (see "Cardboard Gangster"), but even they lack any sense of originality or inspiration. And the driving riff of the way-to-long "You Stand Alone" could be the most obvious SLAYER theft of the year (barring a new ALL OUT WAR release).

In the end, the MISERY INDEX similarities wind up being superficial, which leave listeners with an album that, for all its grand standing, is largely meaningless and mechanical. Nothing too offensive to the sensibilities, but nothing that ignites them with inspiration either. It's yet again another middle-of-the-road Deathgrind release that the underground doesn't need right now.