Second EP in a year for Burn Down Eden!
After Dismal in April, Pether (vocals), William (guitar), Tom (guitar), Marco (bass) and Warni (drums) unveil Epiphany via their label, Seek and Strike. The two EPs will be combined on the album Dismal Epiphany at the end of January 2025.
Dismal kicks off with Reap the Apocalypse, a first composition where frantic rhythm, ferocious screams and jerky riffs meet, sometimes giving rise to piercing melodies or overpowering passages. The choruses benefit from this slightly melancholic touch, which is also found at times in Death of a Songbird, the next track where the musicians offer us a touch of technicality in their explosive riffs. The harmonics are as sharp as ever, armed with a hint of dissonance, while they become more playful with Blood Splattered Symphony, which comes on at full speed. There’s however a hint of darkness in the verses, contrasting with the energy of the choruses, as well as that of the solo on Aim for the Stars, where the musicians create a solid rhythm under all circumstances, accompanied by aggressive leads. The War Within closes the EP with a slightly more massive approach, allowing the guitars to position themselves harmoniously while the drums surge and the vocalist delivers a more visceral performance, which fits perfectly with the leads’ tones.
Eight months later, Epiphany follows up with Epistrophy, a track where ferocity is once again the order of the day, though with a hint of furious madness in the guitars, which offer more ethereal notes. The track is quite short, but Fake News for Breakfast follows with similar patterns, combining solid riffs and short, piercing flights of fancy, while the vocal parts fuel the rage, but are temporarily replaced by a masterful solo. The shred returns on Tears Of Persephone, but so does a hint of sadness created by the guitars, making this one of the most contrasting tracks, but also one of the most accessible while remaining rooted in violence. Burn Down Eden begins with its heady harmonics, but the rhythm follows closely behind to roll over us, led by the in-form vocalist who regularly throws in the leads before moving on to Suckbox, the final track, which wastes no time in lacerating us at full speed, while offering catchy passages and a well-crafted solo.
First with Dismal, then Epiphany, Burn Down Eden confirm their position with new lively riffs that perfectly exploit their roots. Both EPs are short but effective, and it would be a shame to miss out!
85/100
