Revenger - The New Mythology Vol. 1 EP

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Hell hath no fury like REVENGER! I’m sure the Groove Thrash quartet from Vancouver had at least one fuck to give at some point but listening to “The New Mythology Vol. 1”, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Their last fuck is long gone, now. JP Poulin’s bass moves around each track like a furious rip tide while Andrew Bailey’s vocals screams above the raging chords that Sean Parkinson abuses with no trace of remorse. The EP is only five tracks, but they’re filling (that’s the Groove); you get a lot crammed into only three-minute intervals so you aren’t left unsated.

The band has done and seen a lot in the short time they’ve been on the scene (2012). Appearing alongside such Metal greats like HAVOK, BEYOND CREATION, ARCHSPIRE, and the epic Mongolian Folk horde TENNGER CAVALRY, and fans do seem to encourage seeing these guys do a live set. Bailey’s vocals bring a deeper, more intense assault than original vocalist Greg Cavanaugh, heard on their debut “To the Wolves” (Bailey joined the band in 2015, a year after their debut was released). The line up has seen a few changes since they started, but they seem to finally be in a good space with a killer production job on their current EP.

“Hex” has hidden layers under Bailey’s vocals and furious Julia’s Drums; Poulin’s bass lurks about in secret beneath the waters, waiting to take over. Sean Parkinson takes his time, waiting for the right moment to seize the spotlight, which he executes beautifully in a solo midway through “Anti-life”. “We Want Blood” is a carnal blender of sound, Bailey pouring all his energy into the lyrics, “We will bathe in the red spray/We will write our name upon the walls!”

“The Man Who Shot God” bass still rumbles ominously, and a very inhuman, unidentified rumbling along side it echoes in the background at one point before Parkinson’s guitar solo that’s incredibly unsettling to listen to. “The Watcher” sees Bailey straining himself to his breaking point, almost actively singing while nursing a sucking chest wound. REVENGER wants blood, and you’re gonna give it to them whether you want to or not.

Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Memorability: 9
Production: 10