Not knowing what to expect from this California trio, I got comfy with the opening riff that felt like crusty old school death metal, before things went into a blur of blast beats . They found their way back to more memorable riffing, so that plays into their favor. The vocals are a low death metal growl that is typically buried. There is also some punk-tinged thrash in the mix that leans in the direction of what we call crust now.
The find a groove in "Cadaveric Bloat." It splits the difference from a dense Entombed-like crunch to something more like early Carcass. Though I think I prefer the first song, as the drumming is a little more punk on the second song. The way they dig into the lower chords is the most Entombed-like moment. "Phospherized" finds them pouring on the speed. The lyrics are all obscured in the mix as the growl is not that articulate, but it seems they are focused on the physical stages of death. When they slow things down to a more deliberate pace, it works in their favor. In fact, the guitar carries some melody to make it more memorable.
The last song 'Coffin" is more deliberate and crunches with a greater purpose; there are also hints of Slayer influence in play that help. This demo might only be a four-song EP, but it's a pretty impressive calling card that is going to earn them a following of metal hipsters who are really punk kids playing dress up, but that does not take away from these guys being legit. I will give this album a 9.Being relased on Caligari Records.
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