With most recent deathcore simply obsessed with showing me how heavy and broodle they are (Annotations of An Autopsy, Emmure, Embrace The End, I Declare War, etc) a few bands such as Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, Fate and Atlanta’s A Thousand Times Repent are trying to engage in a little more than a breakdown overkill (which I don’t actually mind).

A repackaged version of the band’s self released 2007 demo EP, Virtue Has Few Friends treads a little more progressive territory that imbues a little of Between the Buried and Me, while retaining the sheer heft of the genre’s heavyweights that’s rendered by tangible three pronged guitar attack as well as a Christian outlook.

At their heaviest, (“Curses! Another Shape-Shifting Wraith!”, “Take Me to the Witch of the Waste… We Have Much to Discuss”, “So Much For Middle Earth”) ATTR are easily on par with the bands mentioned above, possibly more so, with a number of huge, resonating breakdowns, angular lopes and squealing blasts. However, halfway through the second track, “A Band of Hunters Stalk in Endo” we are introduced to the band’s well done, introspective side with clean vocals and a delicate acoustics. Though some may cite a rip off of BTBAM, and they would be well served, the fact is, its just as well done and never quite as experimental, plus it often suits the bands religious themes (though the admittedly inane song titles would have you think otherwise).

More delicate moments litter the EP such as the “That Was The Night Everything Changed” and moving closing ballad “Complete Relinquish. Utter Abandon”, highlighting Darsen Avery’s graceful voice, but its never forced or piecemeal.

Though this general style of music is approaching silly levels of unoriginality and saturation, A Thousand Time Repent are one of the more creative and promising bands plying this style I’ve heard and with a new full album on the horizon, I’ll be looking forward to hearing if they reach the potential of this EP.

[Visit the band's website]

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