Oh, Greywalker. I was beginning to worry about you. Yeah, I know there was a live release, but it seems like forever since Without Control, the stellar last full length was released. I get it, though. There is that small matter of an ongoing pandemic. I won’t go too far into it, but I have a bit of a history with these guys (all good), so let’s take a breath and jump in.

The EP itself is called Le Cachot, which translates to “the dungeon,” and is named after the former dark ride at Kennywood, throwing those Steel City ties right in your face. These boys also have shirts with “Steel City Thrash” on them if you’re looking for evidence they’re from Pittsburgh. This EP, though, is about the “dungeon of the human mind.” Strap in (tie back to the ride reference, bros). You’re welcome.

The first thing you’ll notice about this is that it sounds like Darkest Hour and there are mentions of metalcore in the promo materials. Darkest Hour to me has always straddled that line between modern metal, metalcore, and thrash, so Greywalker’s self-anointed tags make sense. The first track, “Lost River,” immediately blasts out of the gates with a decent, if not somewhat sterilized sound, but you can hear the bass, so maybe that’s just in the eye of the beholder. It’s a short burst, but the guitar work alone in the latter half makes the song solid.

The two songs making up the middle of the EP, “Terroride,” and “Phantasmagoria” definitely follow along the same lines as the first. On the former, I dig the deeper register Brian Howe utilizes in a majority of the track. On the latter, there’s an almost call and response sort of vocal style very reminiscent of that one band I mentioned earlier.

The longest track here, of course is the last one, “Hour 13,” but at a little over 4 minutes, that doesn’t really count as all the tracks are around 3-4 minutes. While it is similar to the previous track, the reason this stands out is because it has the best hook of the ones on display. The guitar work is predictably stellar as well. It’s very odd that I have listened to this band for years and I am only now recognizing the Darkest Hour comparisons because the band themselves mentioned it. It’s okay, though because they’re no copycats, I still dig them, and I’ll see them live the next time I get the chance. So, the EP verdict…

Look, guys, there’s a reason I don’t review many EPs. I’m picky and finnicky. I get angry when bands make their albums too long, but I also get angry when they make a short EP. There’s literally no fucking pleasing me. When an EP is released from a favorite of mine, I think; “Just work on a new full length, damn it!” On the other hand, EPs have introduced me in short form to bands I love (looking your way recent Phlebotomized). In summary, this is short, fun, but over too quick. I recommend checking it out, but most of all, I recommend checking out Greywalker’s most recent full length, Without Control. It’s their best work so far. Get to work on that next full length, damn it!

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