Sentient Horror‘s debut 2016 album, Ungodly Forms was a killer release of Stockholm styled death metal that gave the likes of Entrails a run for their money, despite hailing from New Jersey. And now the band is back with a 5 track, 20 minute, stop gap EP between albums, and it shows a slightly different direction.

Don’t panic, the guys still play Stockholm based death metal with a killer HM-2 sound, but rather than crushing grooves, this EP now leans a little more towards the Dismember/Grave side of things with more blasting, slicing, galloping melodies and solos and more of blistering delivery with a few keyboards thrown in. The result is just as good as Ungodly Forms, with the same guitar tone (again mastered by the legendary Dan Swano), just with a more urgent pace and melodic lean.

Second track, “Bled Dry by the Night” highlights this new sound with a killer melodic lead about 3 minutes in . There are still a few thunderous moments to be had such as opener “Enter Crypts Below” and  the fucking tasty gallop of “Hatchet Crimes”. “Hellmarked” imbues Grave’s debut album with a crushing wall of mid range noise and a nice 90s keyboard break.  The EP ends with a cover of Edge of Sanity‘s “Darkday” from The Spectral Sorrows, indicating another influence on the band’s tweaked sound with keyboards and more melodies and I’m guessing a look into what the next album might sound like.

Sentient Horror have jumped to the top of The US Swedeath group and while only an EP, which I don’t usually care for, it looks like it will be a well placed transitional teaser for what’s to come. Bring it!

[Visit the band's website]

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