FanTBilled as one of the first thrash metal bands to form in Poland way back in 1986 it certainly took Fanthrash a while before release of first album ‘Duality Of Things’ in 2011. 25 years must be some sort of record (or even CD but you get the point) and it took a further couple of years to find us for review. That said I certainly wasn’t expecting a new disc from them this quickly even if it was just an EP. This nicely packaged and presented package proves that the band are no doubt determined to build up towards a second album much quicker than it took the first to arrive.

The ¼ of an hours’ worth of music here is quick to get its hooks in and the title track shows that these hooks are not particularly routine and by numbers as they have time signatures lurching and weaving with technicality being at their forefront. Don’t read too much into the fact that the band have Thrash proudly represented in their name this has a progressive and technical death metal feel to it as much as anything else and is certainly not the sound of partying down with bongs, beers and with songs about zombies as you may at first think.    Vocalist Less barks away and there are parts with robotic spoken vocals that along with the music, that imaginative song-title and striking cover-art give this a futuristic feel. ‘Vitality’ does inject a bit of a thrashing tumult into things and picks up the pace. There is a fair bit going on and it takes a fair few listens to get to grips with the melodies that interweave and flow around the skewed musicianship. The vocals when cleanly sung here remind a fair bit of Gojira and I guess the underlying melody does too. A sudden guitar line peels out higher in the mix than it needs to be and I found it a little bit too pompous flung out a volume that was unnecessary almost shouting ‘look at me.’ Once that is sorted though the song cracks along solidly until conclusion. ‘Outcasts From Cassiopeia’ finishes things with those robotic vocals reminding now a bit of Voivod and along with the chugging and jagged instrumentation which never stands still at all.

I found this EP really quite a difficult one to get into I must admit and although I have grown to appreciate it more on further listens I kept putting off reviewing it to give more spins in the hope that it would completely sink in and have me appreciating it a bit more. That has unfortunately not happened, the songs are clever and there is plenty happening but the challenging nature of them has been quite obtuse and this is a style that I just can’t comfortably get to grips with. That said if you like you music to have a progressive and technical edge this is well worth having a listen to.  Looking at Metal Archives it would seem like since recording this the band have had further complications with lead guitarist Pilate and vocalist Less departing and replacements being brought in. What that says for the future, time will no doubt tell.

(6/10 Pete Woods)

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