“Burn the earth and kill those who flee the flames.”
An early outing from both Lethal Minds and xHour of Reprisalx came as a pleasant surprise. The Preston unit made their return on “Born To Lose” at the tail end of last year, and EP A New World From The Ashes of the Old was a superb offering from xHour of Reprisalx that was not far off a mention as one of the top EPs of the year. Now both bands come together to put together a split EP that is absolutely furious, and a feature that mind-bogglingly heavy.
Side A sees Lethal Minds as the opening act with “LIE CHEAT AND STEAL“. Opening with a sample from an ABC news report on the 2011 summer rioting in England, exchanges of gravelly vocals between both band’s vocalists give a starkness to the tracks that rumbles the EP awake. The onslaught continues on the “UTTER CONTEMPT“, which while slightly heavy on the misanthropic side, continues to chug away at spin-kicking sound Lethal Minds are known for.
The thick riffs quickly enter as xHour Of Reprisalx take charge on “INHUMANITARIAN“. Joe’s spiteful and bark-style vocals grab the track by its throat. The band put down a solid groove to match, even before the explosive breakdown hits that expands out the track. The crown jewel of the EP comes on “WORLD WRITHES IN PAIN“. The societal commentary at hand does shake off any malaise that have been slipped too in recent months or years, with the clear reminder of greed and profiteering being the main cause of society’s ailments. Continuing in a similar fashion as what had come before, a raging feature from Harry Notts of Burner leads into a crunching breakdown. This adds an important final level of heat before the split EP closes out.
This crossover between two UK hardcore bands is a nice bonus offering at the start of the new year, showing the fury that is brimming within both projects, and the impressive performances they’re known for. With hopefully more to come from both bands this year, Burning Earth makes for a starting gun for futher standout material in their respective discographies.
7.5/10
Burning Earth will be independently released on January 12th.