It has taken just over a year for the second release to emerge from this Polish band but instead of an album we have a four track EP that contains three new songs and one tune from the album ‘Infernal Agony’ which sounds like it has been rerecorded or remixed. I particularly liked ‘Infernal Agony’ because it had some similarities to Sweden’s Vomitory with that grating, scraping sound on the guitar linked to punishing speed. This EP contrasts with the debut full length quite a bit, being far denser and possessing a crushing drum sound courtesy of session drummer Darek Młody, which is good to hear considering the debut used programmed drums, albeit they were excellently done.
‘Path Of Hypocrisy’ is the opening track and immediately you are thrust into a cloying, choking production style that snuffs out virtually all the treble toning you might otherwise hear in death metal but the results are very good indeed in a similar way to how Incantation or Immolation make their albums sound. Their grisly dirge like heaviness is counterpointed by the blasted drum work which affords the songs a somewhat inhuman quality replete with screaming lead work, that some of you may think is like Trey (Morbid Angel). The repeated song from the debut album is ‘Pile Of Ashes’ and comparing the two the latest version is far denser and more opaque benefitting from the production style but retaining the core riff as both are exactly the same duration so I suspect the original has been remixed for this EP, but I could be wrong.
‘Death Revelation’ is up next and comes in at less than two minutes and has a filth riddled riff that I absolutely adored. The song is borderline goregrind in tone and approach but blended with a piercing guitar break that twists and contorts around that hideous cloying aura the band has gone for on the sound. I’d even say the song has a touch of crust about it too as it has the catchy styling of that genre as the EP ends with ‘Salvation’. The contrast between the ‘Death Revelation’ and ‘Salvation’ is colossal as its opening doom-death riff is creepy like Autopsy before the double bass thunders in with crushingly heavy density. The speed workout appears quickly as the doom-death like toning has an expansive almost enshrouding quality before the tune drops into a complete change with creepy riffage. The switches in speed keep you on your toes but it is the way they insert such utter asphyxiating oppression that makes this EP so cool to listen to.
A fine EP from Soulcarrion, one for old school death metal fans who prefer the filth riddled style over the more technical or clinical style.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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