Is there anywhere on earth more Slam that Texas? No, no there isn’t, Devourment, Viral Load, Putrid Womb, Disfigured I could go on, it’s the home of purist Slam filth and I love it. It’s far flung from the lesser Deathcore influenced BDM scene we see so often nowadays (I sound like an old man). Truly though if you want proper Slam then there’s no better place to look, even now the state continues to throw out killer artists, just look at Architectural Genocide for instance! Can today’s Texans reap the rewards though?

The Texans we speak of today are the aptly named Texas Murder Crew, which is a great name, to the point and Slam as hell. Makes me want to throw on a cap and some mesh shorts and dance like a madman. Anyway, this unnecessarily large six-man Slam band appear to be taking Slipknot on a run for their money, they even have a sampler! I digress, the band formed in 2017 under the less impressive name Everyone’s Last Breath (which has since become the title of their EP, wise move). In 2018 they released a demo, and this with the backing of Kevin Clark’s ex-Devourment/ Kill Everything fame has given them a chance to release their debut EP through Comatose Music, let’s see how it plays out.

This little Slam EP begins with an Intro track (a chance for sampler Terry Burleson to shine), as many who know me and my reviews will know I often loathe this kind of thing. However, in this instance it’s backed at its midpoint with some strong instrumentation, namely in the guitars. The first actual track is Curse Of Humanity which is every bit as BDM as one might wish. Powerful riffs, standard yet guttural vocals and a plethora of hammer wielding Slams. Coming back to the vocals, this is a dual vocal affair between Brent Wells and Logan Ross, a touch too much if you ask me but none the less it seems to work. Destroy The Witness is next to bring the power, it must be said that Kevin Clark really heads up this band with his exceptional Slam riff knowledge.

Going forward Beneath My Feet gives us further Slam mastery, indeed the Slams within are huge to say the least. The usage of Timothy Dewayne Ratcliff’s bass is truly embodied therein also, it slaps hard! The titular track follows, more powerful riffs make way for crushing hammer blows in yet another Slam epic. There is a definite spark about Texas Murder Crew (or should that be TMC, seems more Slam I think). That spark is one which I hope to see ignited further within the future. With a bit more sampling the EP ends with Stronghold, a short sharp burst of massive BDM carnage a decent end and one that doesn’t rely on pointless instrumental tension building.

I could pretty easily give the band some stick for having two vocalists and a sampler, but I won’t. Quite frankly Slam is ridiculous, it’s over the top and so silly, so why not have two vocalists and a sampler? It just adds to the madness really, equally how can one mock such a wonderfully brutal band. The Slams are non-stop and it really takes me back to my personal Slam roots. In fact my main quarrel with this EP is just that, it’s and EP! I can’t wait for a full length and I urge any fan of the hammer to seek this upcoming gem out.

(8/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/Texas-Murder-Crew-615168312153086

https://comatosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/everyones-last-breath