As a stop gap between the magnificent Eater of Birds and the next full length album, Cobalt and Profound Lore offer up this oddly titled, limited edition, 3 track, 44-minute EP that delivers one new track, a Nausea cover and the uncut, full 30 minute version of “Ritual Use of Fire”, which was split up and use as ambient segues on Eater of Birds.

The new track, the seven minute “Stomach” serves to show that along with Nachtmystium (and maybe Krallice if they are more than a one album novelty side project), Cobalt are the new breed of American Black Metal. Not content to wallow on basement dwelling, lofi desolation, but branch out, expand develop and improve upon a tried and true musical methodology. “Stomach” is undulating black metal at its very soul, but its exterior is progressive, complex, disconcerting and discordant- a hint that the new album will be as special and unpredictable as Assassins.

I cant really comment on the cover of Nausea’s “Extinction” as I have no experience with the long running underground grind/crust act, but it appears “Extinction” was one of their longer, more experimental tracks-at least that’s what Cobalt’s take on it is.

“Ritual Use of Fire” was created originally by vocalist Phil McSorley while before he left to serve in the military, and with all three parts now pieced together as one, making for a 30 minute journey into creepy ambience, noise and programming that’s as gnarly as anything Wrest has come up with, but not something I’ll sit down and listen to on its own voluntarily.

The choice to cough up $7 for what is basically a 30 minute ambient track and a cover is up to you though, as I gather “Stomach” will be on the new album. Oh-and its a digipack-I know that matters to some of you.

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