Three awesome EPs for us to dive into today, from death metal to industrial to country! Let’s check them out!
Ashes in the Fall: Where Serenity Prevails
Prog-death has always been a genre I’ve wanted to explore more, and this was the perfect vehicle to use to do so. There’s a surprising amount of post-metal to the release, the atmosphere created across the three tracks being fantastic. The band are clearly talented writers and players, as some of the guitar runs and drum fills are still incredible. All three tracks serve their purpose perfectly, too. ‘Kodamas’ is a great intro, while ‘Seven Days of Fire’ showcases exactly what the band are about, style-wise. It’s short too, getting straight to the point at fourish minutes, almost being a worthy single as it’s heavy and fantastically played. Then you have the epic, 11-minute ‘Dusk of Mankind’ where the band really cut loose and let you see what they’re about. It’s folky and masterfully crafted, almost bordering on atmospheric black metal, which fits so well in the context of the rest of the music. It’s a highlight for me, for sure, and has certainly made me a fan of the band. Heck, even if this EP was just this one track, I’d have still loved it, but the fact that we also have more is just a bonus. This certainly won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed this far more than I expected to, and if anyone likes their metal heavy and epic, I’d certainly recommend! 8/10
Decrepit Youths: Love Psycho Kill Machine
The Geordie alt rock crew released their debut EP today, after a strong hype train of singles over the last couple of years. Featuring the title track single and their 2024 hit ‘Monster in Me’, we also get the fantastic new song ‘Black Dove’. All three songs are absolutely phenomenal, and fit perfectly into the current heavy music climate. The title track is a catchy industrial metal banger, giving off the perfect mix of Ministry and Electric Callboy. Then you have the more BMTH/Linkin Park-like ‘Black Dove’, more catchy melodies and big riffs, but more rock-based. Finally, the lead single is a heavy combination of both previous styles, and another certified banger. All three tracks fit perfectly together and are such an incredible collection of songs. All three are as good as each other, making it impossible to pick highlights. And as a debut release, it’s absolutely phenomenal. The band are going to go far if this EP is anything to go by, and this should very much put them on the map. It’s a solid 9/10 from me, and I immediately want more from them!
Maddox Batson: First Dance
The debut EP from the LITERAL CHILD country newcomer was released today. It’s not particularly my sort of thing, but for what it is and the fact that the kid is only 15, it’s a pretty good release! It’s very pop-country, wearing its FGL and Russel Dickerson inspiration heavily on its sleeve. It’s a very modern sound that is pulled off well by Maddox, and his age takes a lot of the potential cringiness out of the style and lyrics. While it’s not exactly my style, stuff like ‘Girl in Green’ and ‘It Was You’ are good songs in their own right and definite highlights. And regardless of what I think, it’s a solid debut for sure, and an incredibly easy-to-listen-to under 20 minutes of chilled-out country music. This is clearly the start of big things for Maddox, and this will definitely be a point where we’ll all look back on as the start of something big, I’m sure. But, for me personally, it gets a 6.5/10