As a local lad I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss this Leeds bunch and their misanthropic excretions, but this is something I need to rectify in the near future as this EP puts them up there as a gem in the Yorkshire, and British, extreme metal underground.
This 5 track EP is their second release following on from 2017’s two track demo MMXXVII, and is twenty minutes of jarring, nihilistic blackened death metal.
Things open with an eerie grating intro comprising an unnerving, white noise conjuring up images of a post armageddon landscape before leading into ‘Swarms’ which builds nicely with drums and riffs vying for attention before a guttural roar brings order and unleashes an uncompromising, abrasive aural assault which straddles a fine line between black and death metal.
‘Iniquity’ (which also featured on their initial demo) has much more of a death metal feel, with crushing riffs coming to the fore. Let’s be clear here, this is dirty, raw, grinding, oppressive death metal, a million miles away from some of the clean, over-produced death metal which frequents the covers of music magazines.
The tempo drops further for ‘Worms’ before launching into a barrage of sludgy riffs and a mid-paced frenzy. The guitar intro to ‘Shrine’ reminded me a little of early Slayer before an aggressive and frenetic barrage of drums riffs and guttural vocals are unshackled, staying just within the boundary of auditory chaos.
The EP is brought to a close with ‘Planetary Illness’ as swirling rhythms and melodies are wrapped in swathes of angular stifling atmosphere, leading to a fade out of feedback and silence which is as powerful as any riffs by way of contrast with the preceding savagery.
(8.5/10 Andy Pountney)
Leave a Reply