The Darkness.
Mini albums are a strange thing; another two tracks and this could easily be a full length, in fact it’s longer than some anyway. That aside, German quintet An Early Cascade deliver a great record whatever the length; their tunes give you an heavy duty ear bashing with the added bonus of quirky, complex riffs. ‘Hunted Helicopters’ is a cracking tune, bringing to mind the manic intensity of Botch but with a more melodic section slotted in, but even this is underpinned with chunky, brutal guitars.
‘Avarice Act’ is even better, an open, swirling quality (slightly reminiscent of Radiohead believe it or not) adds extra depth to the insistent and almost industrial chugs and pounding drums; this is a nasty track with repetitive and doom laden beats but it really gets under your skin. ‘Like Lions’ is so dark at the beginning that it hurts, but as with all the tunes on “Your Hammer To My Enemy” it’s technically exciting and underneath the surface heaviness there is a core of melody which comes out near the end with gently twinkling, minor key guitars.
This band moves from brutal hardcore nastiness to atmospheric swirls without you even noticing half the time, the technical ability on display means that the change from anguished screams to moody and gentle is never clichéd and never strays into easy to digest pop; be warned, they do not compromise, so don’t expect an easy ride, but this is most definitely a rewarding record that demands further listens.