Back in 2016 I was lucky enough to get the debut Sentient Horror album “Ungodly Forms” through to review…..and I won’t lie, it made me chub up a bit. The ludicrously good, old school Swedish DM vibe….. expertly replicated by these oiks from New Jersey was ace! Lots of other people though so too. So I was chuffed to get this EP and now I’m positively tumescent once more.

Now obviously if early Dismember and Grave albums don’t blow your skirt up or make your trousers tighten then swerve this. But for those of us with an ear for this sort of thing it’s essential. Every track displays a collision of melody, speed and brutality with plenty of groove where required and an attention to song-writing detail that’s lacking in so much metal these days. Every track goes for the throat and is relentless in its praise of death metal glory! Pretty damn impressive especially when you consider the band have a totally new rhythm section in the form of Tyler Butkovsky- bass & Evan Daniele – drums.

The songs have more going on in them and are slightly more complex than the material on “Ungodly Forms” and are rock solid from front to back, plus as a Brucie Bonus there’s a belting cover of “Darkday” by Swedeath legends, Edge Of Sanity which rounds off this EP nicely.

The production by guitarist / vocalist Matt Moliti and mastering by Dan Swano is, as expected, fantastic as is the cover art by Juanjo Castellano.

All in, a great little EP and if you like proper Swedish death metal (albeit performed by some young Septics) then this is definitely for you.

(8/10 Mark Eve)

https://www.facebook.com/sentienthorrorofficial

https://testimonyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sentient-horror-the-crypts-below