Full of Hell : "Broken Sword, Rotten Shield"

This EP is a memorial of sorts that explores loss through the lens of a fantasy metaphor to obscure the processing of their feeling regarding a dog's death. The title track that opens the album is one of their most refined, and perhaps accessible songs yet, with a more metal approach that delves into little of their more grindcore spasms, though those are not far behind with the 49-second "From Dog's Mouth a Blessing" that carries more of a hard core stomp to the riff. Still, the whole song is run through a filter that gives it a more lo-fi distant sound as if it's being played from a radio that is still crackling with radiation from nuclear exposure. 

"Corpselight" is more of an interlude despite being longer than many of the band's songs at two and a half minutes, though it just lingers on dark ambient noise, and shrieking that is mixed into the reverb to haunt it from an even greater distance. Things come together on the more angular rocking of "Lament of All Things," there is a punk edge to this that is more apparent than I can recall hearing from them in the past. "Mirrorhelm" is another ambient interlude that drones a bit. 

"A Knight's Oath" is another surprisingly straightforward metal that is more death metal in its intentions. The sonic guitar playing keeps it from crossing over into death metal despite the drumming and vocals. The last song is a more deliberate sludge hammering. The vocals shift from lower death growls to his normal higher, almost black metal screams. The drums continue to press through the dense noise that the song builds into.  I will give this album a 9. I appreciate the continued refinement of what they do, not sure if an EP needed interludes, but overall, I enjoy what these guys do, and it is consistent with that and not unlike where they went on their last album, perhaps a little darker mood given the subject. Out on Closed Casket Activities May 16th. 

 

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