Reviewed by Ian Webber

With all the subtlety of a concrete block, this Arkansas-based outfit land with their own brand of doom-laden grindcore. Combining the sounds of industrial instrumentation and brutal rhythms, the five tracks on offer on this EP are delivered in less than three minutes. Lyrically the growls, gurgles and rasping vocal style makes deciphering difficult, but the pieces I could discern were centred on Christ's sacrifice. A glance through the track listing of "Forgive Me O God" and "Betrayer" also hints towards their lyrical direction. Opening amid a mix of feedback and soaring chords, the spoken intro of "Forgive Me O God" breaks into frenetic drums and growls. More feedback and a mechanised feel continue to build the soundscape on "A Lasting God". One track lurches quickly into the next brutal tirade without pausing for breath. It is not until the final "He Sent Me" that any sense of melody is heard on a short sample of American gospel/country music. This is in no way a listen for the faint hearted as the five tracks produce an incredibly crushing and intense experience. The EP is so short however, that nothing really has the time to develop, leaving the recording a little one dimensional. Downloadable from the SkyBurnsBlack Bandcamp page, this is an offering for the serious extreme music fan only.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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