US band EYE OF THE DESTROYER was formed in 2013, and operating out of their home base in New Jersey they have been an active band ever since their formation, playing live quite a lot I understand, in addition to releasing material at a steady pace. Two singles, three EPs and one full album have been made so far in the band’s existence. “Starved and Hanging” is the most recent of the EPs, and was self released in the late summer of 2017.
Extreme metal is what this band is all about, and this four track, close to eleven minutes long EP documents fairly well the scope of this band I imagine. They have opted for a dark, dirty and grimy general mood and atmosphere, where the heavy guitar riffs dominates alongside the vocals. The songs fluctuate in pace, from almost doom-tinged passages crawling along, to more intense mid-paced sections and occasional bursts of more frantic pace and intensity. Primal and bestial growls lead the way in the vocals department, occasionally backed by more dramatic shriek like backing vocals, while the muddy, evil guitars weave their way through groove-laden passages, staccato start and stop riff structures and dirty, chugging riff cascades.
To my ears, this is a band that have focused on a niche segment: Those who enjoy extreme metal with sludge metal leanings, a dark and oppressive atmosphere and quirky but grimy song structures should enjoy this one quite a lot. But I suspect that this isn’t the band that will expand the extreme metal audience base, at least as far as the material on this EP is concerned.
My rating: 60/100
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Track list:
Obsessed With Death // Crushed Between Earth and Bone // Starved and Hanging // Mandatory Bludgeoning
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