Zealotry

Radix Malorum EP

Written by: AB on 04/10/2009 20:52:36

Hi everybody, long time no see. It's been quite some time since I've written reviews here, so I'll jump straight back at it. I have a small back log to clear, but before I start on that, I'm just gonna tell all you guys a little about an EP or three I think deserves some attention, you know, just to get me back in shape (as soon as I've worked something out about pictures, you'll also get a small feature on my adventures on the Brutal Assault Festival, stay tuned). First up is this little gem of dark, crazy death metal from Boston, Massachusetts based Zealotry.

Consisting of just three songs, this small piece clocks in at a little less than 15 minutes. However, even if Zealotry can't beat anyone in quantity, they are sure making a stab at winning in quality. Technical death metal which sounds inspired by the excellent old Finnish scene (Demilich, Convulse, Adramelech etc.) is a good starting point if trying to impress me, and in this Zealotry definitely succeed. All of the EP's three songs are filled to the brim with strange, otherworldly riffs that crawl and writhe their way through the listener's head, like some obscure snake creature from the netherworlds. The drums are programmed, but they are done so expertly. Except for a short period of "tak-tak-tak" blasting in the third and final song, "Defeat of the SuperEgo", the drums are interesting throughout the EP, complementing the awesome guitar work. The song writing is very good all the way through, and one is never bored. To make things even more interesting, there are two small piano parts interwoven in the strange death metal, and it works great - just listen to the intro to "Pleroma"!

Even though this is some real quality, this cool EP isn't perfect. The sound is generally great - the guitar tone is super - but I find the drums to be a little too far back in the mix. Besides, though they are programmed with great skill, it is still obvious that Zealotry could do better with a human drummer. A short sample used as an intro also detracts from the overall flow, feel and expression of the EP, as does the formerly mentioned blasting parts in "Defeat of the SuperEgo". However, these are all minor points in an otherwise very impressive first release from a promising young band, and I urge every fan of dark, twisted death metal to support the band and buy this EP. My only real gripe about this release is the length - or rather lack of - but a 2010 album is announced and I am really looking forward to it! Musically, Zealotry deserves a grade or so more, but because of the short span of the EP, I can't justify handing out more than

7

Download: Pleroma, Instruments of Empire, Defeat of the SuperEgo
For the fans of: Adramelech, Demilich, Immolation
Listen: Myspace.com

Release date 01.09.2009
Self Released

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.