“FFO Oathbreaker, Fall of Efrafa, Amenra, Downfall of Gaia, etc”
Oh, you clever sons of bitches. THAT’S how you get my attention when it comes to promo emails. Heck, why not just throw in Tragedy to boot as well as, BJs, steaks, guns and the New Orleans Saints to top it off????
But unlike about 50% of promotional ‘FFO’ claims, this one hits it out of the park with this Finnish five piece, and this short but furious 3 song , 22 minute or so EP, that really does imbue all of the bands mentioned above rather well. And as s a nice topper the EP is mixed and mastered by Topon Das of Fuck the Fucts, so there’s that too..
Killer opener, “The Great Famine” sets the tone with a perfect melodic, d-beat crusty canter, a mix of deep bellows and pain-filled shrieks, and blackened crescendoes filled with bleak melodies. The second track, the EPs longest, “From Man of God to Voracious Beast” builds with post-rock patience and mood but explodes at the 3:38 mark with a nifty atmospheric blackened riff, where the Downfall of Gaia reference comes in, then it settles down into a more restrained post-metal ebb and throb.
The last track, “A Glimpse Beyond” continues the more somber post-metal vibes, until it reaches its inevitable more black/crust peak about 6 and a half minutes in and delivers a nice Ep ending, but never quite fully delivers a truly special climax or ending to the song. Still, a band I think I will be watching as they edge towards a full-length album after a handful of splits and Eps.
