Brutal death metal Auckland quintet have just released their debut 5-track EP, following on from the two singles which were released from it last year. I was lucky enough to see these guys when they supported Pale Flag earlier this year, while I have also caught singer Liam Hand in his other band Silent Torture, with the band being completed by Aidan McGorry (guitar), Grady Gottler (lead guitar), Jacob Raffaelli (bass) and Blake Plester (drums). Apparently, this was written and recorded in the guys’ homes, so I guess much of it was completed in one of the (many) lockdowns. One thing I really like about this extreme metal onslaught is that while BDM is the style of choice, there are times when they slow it down to doom and even sludge speed, and there are also a few elements of black metal in here as well.
The onslaught is driven from the back, with ferocious drumming and the bass linked in with the guitars, and then at the front we have Liam who sounds as if he is trying to force his lungs out of his throat. He has one of the lowest vocal styles around, and they have been kept high in the mix, which works incredibly well when placed against the distorted bass and guitars which move between clean and crunch. Gurgling is one of their quicker numbers, and they invited Isaac Drakeley to add his vocals to Liam’s and the pairing works well. They often do not stick to the same tempo and attack throughout a song, which results in contrast and ensures everything is getting the attention it deserves with the loud seeming louder due to the spaces in the arrangement.
Five songs, twelve minutes, we are fortunate in Auckland to have some great metal bands around at the moment, and this is well worthy of investigation by all metalheads.
Rating: 7/10
