Dark Hound-Oceans EP

Track 1. Thread- Immediately your ears are treated to a cascade of harmonic melodies that establish everything perfectly. The music grows into something more heavier providing quick paced yet catchy rhythm parts. I love how that bass line just pokes you in the eye! The flow of the music just pulls you along for the heavy ride with a full throttle of pain. Full of dark delicious distortion. The vocals have quite a presence, unique but straight forward melodic and clear. The riffs grind like a knife cutting off limb after limb. The timing through out the track as well as sound quality is thoroughly acceptable. The music has a dynamic quality about it, great track to open the album with.

Track 2. To Know End- You wonder it immediately as the song starts in its very low bass. The title of the track, suggests possibly death itself and just knowing about it. You'd swear your ear's hear the ticking of a clock, but it's the growing crisp drums, which pound about with a mighty and thumping force. The heavy guitar riffs twist around with a tornado like essence. I love how the palm muted parts are thrown in at the perfect parts with the rhythm guitar. Vocals dance over the flow of the song with outright perfection. The 'screaming' of the track is quite though provoking. It's different from what I am used to, different in this case is a good thing. This music has a rich groove and flavor about it, simply put. It rocks in a way that just makes you wonder where these guys have been? Melodic moments are sprayed about, but not overdone. I like the changes in the riffs, and then the music just grooves on for a bit until it runs back around to the main hook. The begins to fade a bit, almost like a death. Voices whisper inaudible things into your ears. Finally the song ends upon the fat bass lines, very suddenly. Not a bad track at all, I liked the changes. And just the general flavor of the musical direction.

Track 3. Just As Blind- Very dirty screaming riffs begin things there. Drum's pound in with a sudden curious force, though powerful. There's a slow but hard hitting and crisp jam. Very catchy loving the melodic progression here, palm muting is used perfectly in spots here. Love it. The riffs just cut and grind your soul too pieces. Vocals both lead and backing are excellent and interesting. Lyrical subject matter shows vast intelligence and creativity. Vocal enunciation with guitars is exceptional. Loving the stop and go hard hitting action here. The music changes pace and direction again, bringing forth a new slow but hard hitting groove. Melodic guitar parts begin the process of melting your face down to the bone. I do wish the music would speed up a bit in places. But for slow grooving metal it's pretty damn decent and entertaining. The music definitely will get you moving to a place where you can rock out. The track grooves on with the same awesome riffs for a while, until it all just finally fades, great ending there.

Track 4. Rearview Mirror- A loud pounding on the snare drum begins this battle with a fury. The vocals don't take long to join the party. They are powerful yet melodic and clear. Vast amounts of passion pour out all around the track. Not really understanding these lyrics but they sound sort of crazy. They settle into a bit of a groove kicking it into a higher gear here and there, with some tasty riffs and melodies. The vocal melodies twisted and turned there some seemed hard to get, but overall quite unique. I guess you could say this band has carved out their own sound, they are heavy but with a dose of a melodic yet clean existing thunder of awe.

Track 5. Oceans- The final track of the album opens with an epic intro. The drums begin a final countdown of a complete ass king that's about to be commence. Riffs are thrown about with crazy well turned notions. Love their slithering bass how is just pokes in and out of the mix. The vocals hang over the track like a beast of utter madness. Thus far the vocals have been great between lead and backing though I do wish you could differentiate more between them. Some more rasp in the lead's would be great, but these vocals and melodies are amazing. When you listen to this music it's like your going on a magical journey to lead you to a realm where METAL only exists. The lyrical story is thrown in front of you, the riffs are the pages that turn and pull you in with great interest. The drums and bass are the back bone and heart of this music. Totally digging the fuck out of those hard nosed driving riffs, and that mean fucking bass line. So damn THICK! Crisp kick ass drum beat! After assembling a great flow of music thus far. The track charges towards another great direction almost like it's a completely different song. The music takes on a frantic and eerie feel about it. And then everything just dies, as the sounds of water swirl about filling your ears with a complete peace. This was in a way some very weird metal, but very good metal at the same time. At times I do wish the vocals would have gotten much more raspy to tell the leads from backing. But still the lead and backing vocals were great! Also in parts even thought he grooves were intelligent with a precision cut, some parts seemed a bit slow, where I wished they would have sped up more. Some tracks did that and when they sped up they sounded fucking excellent. It's awful damn close to perfect, though not quite there, though I still dig this shit without a doubt! Rating 9/10

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