BITUMEN RIVER - EP

Shetland Islands metal quartet with a debut 4-track EP that's really rather excellent. It begins with "Listen Learn", a deceptively silent guitar chord beginning the song, as drums enter and the low-pitched vocals weave a silent web. Then, right out of nowhere, this huge barrage of guitar riffing ensues, as the guitar lead cuts through and the rhythm section powers up, the vocals alternating between a throaty growl and something out of early Pearl Jam. The whole thing drives forward in a thunderous sea of molten metal, with a decidedly Priest-meets-Metallica air to it. "Narrow Mind" opens a chiming guitar intro more like something off Metallica's "Black" album before the vocals enter and sound more like an impassioned Eddie Vedder as it all moves slowly forward - then amid a hail of guitar chords, the band thunders in and this raging slice of solid heavy metal rises up to menacing degree as the song drives forward with the rhythms providing the backbone for some serious metal riffing as the vocals take off and the song shudders forth, the influence of more trad metal Metallica, never too far away. For "Chameleon", we are taken into a more acoustic world as the guitar strums away and angst-ridden vocals rise above it, all full of feeling and quite hypnotic, and a quite beautiful three and a half minutes ensues, similar effect to Stone Sour's "Bother" in many ways. The final track, "Come To Grief", opens with ringing guitar chords above shuffling rhythm and low-down vocals before a monster guitar riff fires up and the pace increases slightly as the vocals rise up and deliver a more rousing chorus, before it all drops back down to earth once more, only to build and repeat, a strong lead guitar break adding the final touch to a mid-paced slice of metal strength. Overall, a confident start that sets their case, of which the first and second tracks are the killers of the four.

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