The Kill "Extended Play" CD
[Stereo]
For whatever reason, I guess the layout, I was thinking this was going to be an indie rock sort of thing. But it's not, and it's actually a lot better than I had initially anticipated. The songs are fairly heavy and focus largely on rhythm, taking both the simple chords and odd time signatures of Helmet and the more aggressive and discordant stylings of post-hardcore, fused with a good sense of melody and vocals that range from straight shouts to more aggressive screams or a little bit of singing. By the time the later half of the EP rolls around it can get a little bit tiresome, but there are some real standouts. There's a nice clean break in "Cigarette Burns on the Silver Screen" with some strange note bends and vocal effects, and "Pale Skin Art" is the strongest of the aggressive tracks with its constantly shifting chord progressions and tempos. I think it's the somewhat typical caustic chords and minimal metalcore influences that sort of make things grow stale after awhile, whereas their more melodic and driving riffs are far more interesting. The recording's not bad. I like it for the most part. Something feels like it's missing, but I can't pin it down, and they sound decent overall so whatever it is it's not a glaring problem so much as something that could improve somewhere along the line. The drums are really warm, but they don't lack clarity, and I really like that. The bass can be hard to hear, and the vocals are a bit separated from the instruments, but it's alright. The guitar tone is thick without being overly distorted, so it does give the bass some room. It's a pretty rounded mix, I don't have any major complaints. The layout's 50/50. I really like some of the photographs, but the color scheme is pretty hideous, and I'm not that big on the massive presence of band photos. I would've much rather seen lyrics than multiple little photos of each band member. At least the photography is pretty well handled, but that's life. Pound for pound this is a really good EP that I'm hoping is pointing to great things for this band. I could do without a couple of these songs, but they've got a nice foundation in place. Not bad at all. (7/10)
Running time - 20:15, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Pale Skin Art, Cigarette Burns on the Silver Screen, 8mm Black and White]
Stereo Recording Co. - http://www.stereorecordingco.com

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