This 3 track EP by Finnish quintet is their third release, but first with the current line-up containing new bassist Otto Puusaari and vocalist Samuli Paananen. Their promo pack states they are a melodic death metal band, but the first 2 tracks are balls to the wall aggression with little to no melodic interludes. Juho Suomi’s drumming is fast paced with hyper intense footwork for added speed.
With no foreplay “Deafblind” kicks straight in sounding more black metal with its quick triplets on both guitar and drums, when the vocals come in they do so with plenty of venom but thankfully without the caustic black metal screeching that could have ruined their sound.
Definitely more in the straight death metal camp, “World Surreal” does have the odd false harmonic you can pick out, but the battering you receive from the death roars, drums and guitars make them almost inconsequential. The lead however is complex enough to show they are able to play more than just fast riffs.
“The Abundance of a Sickened Mind” is easily my favourite track on the EP, as it’s slightly more complex than the other 2. Samuli’s vocals are a slow deep roar which goes smoothly over the interwoven guitar melodies played by Antti Lukkari and Panu Korhonen as they ebb and flow then trade off leads without missing a note. The pace is also a little slower to give the guitars more room to breathe without the drums chasing them at high speed.
As a sampler it’s not bad, but I guess I’d want a bit more to getter a better impression of what they’re able to do. Hopefully that’s something they’ll be able to sort out in the near future.
(6/10 Marco Gaminara)
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