ANTI RITUAL : "80 Years" ep

 

This four-song EP by the Danish band features metallic guitar melodies that evolve into more raging, hardcore pounding, thanks to the aggressive drumming. The coarse yells of the vocals are commanding, though also one-dimensional. They touch on more interesting sonic layers with the second song, "Deportation ASMR For Gil-Scott Heron," which has to be one of the best song titles I have seen in some time.  There is a darker, more apocalyptic brooding that I appreciate lyrically. The angry approach being used by their vocalist comes almost closer to Entimbed in the bark, so the nuance of phrasing is not some that leaves much to be discerned. It's the overall feel to this one that wins me over.

While the driving energy of hardcore punk, almost in the frantic vein of Negativ Approach or Discharge, flows through what they do, these guys not not painted into one stylistic corner as there is more of a black metal tension racing through the core of " Emperor of the New Truth", No, it ddoes not sound anything like the band Emperor, more of a Marduk roughness. Motorhead is obviously also in the DNA of most bands doing this sort of thing. Sure it could be more dynamic, but they are running off an adernalized mania. 

The last track, "Days of War, Nights of Love" is once again off to the races after a darker, more deliberate intro that had me hoping they might show a different side. Perhaps the expectation I have is that when you only have four songs, that is four different chances to capture who you are, and who they are seems to be variations of a singular focus of energy. I will give this one an 8.5, as they excel at doing what they do, and made the album they set out to make, so fans of this sort of thing will be rewarded. 

ep391