Originally written by Chris Redar
The EP might very well be the perfect format. Outside of a band attempting to make a grand statement via a concept album, limiting output to just a handful of tracks forces maximum content with minimal filler. How many times have you gotten to the 3/4 mark of an overdrawn LP and thought, man, fucking end already? I can tell you I’ve thought it more times than not, even in the case of some standard-eight death metal albums. It’s possible that I just have the attention span of a gnat, but that notwithstanding, let’s look at a trio of shorties that have had my socks rocked right off lately.
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LOCUSTA – DENDROMORPHOSIS
Locusta has been lurking around the corners of the internationally renowned Columbus, Ohio death metal scene since ’06. In anticipation of full-length number two (the band released a self-titled in 2010), the insect wrecking crew is dropping a teaser EP. And it is just that- these four tracks are like riff foreplay. “Contaminant Remains,” the “album preview” track, is a perpetual groove that locks in around the 00:00 mark and doesn’t stop. Those guitars have been stuck in the ol’ cranium for days, folks- Locusta has a knack for catchy. There isn’t much missing here for the DM connoisseur. They even do those little snare rolls in the middle of blast beats, which everyone should love. “The Cull,” an outstanding track, finishes off with not one, but two solos! There’s also a Death cover, which rules.
(Fun side story: I was listening to this on the way home a short while ago and zoning out a bit. I looked up and noticed the car in front of me [a silver/rust-spotted 1996 Ford Taurus] had, from left to right, gigantic Korn, ICP, and Mushroomhead stickers. I said aloud, to no one, “bet he’s on his way to a job interview” and giggled all the way home.)
This full-bodied brew is best paired with the following entrees: Necrophagist, Vile, Cephalic Carnage
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BRUTAL BLUES – BRUTAL BLUES
Norwegian. Duo. Grindcore. The stage is set for fuckin’ weird, and Brutal Blues fails to disappoint on their mini-album (which is usually called an “EP,” but I’m not from Norway, so what do I know). This is an incredibly one-dimensional collection of dissonant riffs, constant blasts, and vocals that are so low in the mix that they may as well not exist.
One-dimensional can be a ton of fun, however, and Brutal Blues is a primary example. The only downside is length. Some of these tracks clock in at over three minutes, about two minutes past their shelf life. This would be a great “mini-album” to throw on in the background at your family’s Independence Day barbecue when no one is paying attention so one could count how many seconds it takes for the furrowed brows of confusion to turn into frowned faces of disgust. My money’s on forty-five seconds.
Did you enjoy Brutal Blues? Netflix also recommends: Brain Tentacles, East/West Blast Test, Contrastic
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GLOOM – GLOOM
The name of this band immediately conjured an image of pouty-goth and/or doom-lite, nearly damning it to the Pit of the Unlistened To. This would have been a huge mistake, as Gloom’s debut EP is the exact opposite of the aforementioned description.
These Washington, DC lads have sludge-meat stuck to their death metal skeleton. There is also a (hopefully intentionally) hilarious intro and outro (a very, VERY poorly played version of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and “Old Man River,” respectively) that’s still managing to cause the gigglefits. The production on this thing is worth noting for this reason: The kick drum is so fucking loud that it makes the whip sound like there’s a helicopter trying to land on the back hatch, making this guy’s commute feel like the napalm sequence from Apocalypse Now in the morning. Needless to say, that is ridiculously awesome, as is this EP.
Fans of these bands won’t throw Gloom out of bed for eating crackers: Soilent Green, Suffocation, Nora
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So there you have it. A three-course delight in under an hour, with plenty of seasonings to satisfy even the the most sensitive palette. Unless you ordered something other than death or grind, in which case, no refunds.
