Thousand Year War: Kingdom of America

One of the best things about this EP is its willingness to get down to business quickly; unlike most of the new releases these days, this one doesn't have a long drawn out introduction that needlessly takes up the first 30-45 seconds of listening time. EPs are supposed to introduce listeners to a new band or to new material quickly. This band understands that.

The best track on this release is easily "Doom Rides These Mountains," an instrumental that has lots of character and melody. It's one of that tracks that has a perfect tempo—a perfect, comfortable, runner's pace that moves easily and fluidly through its riffs. The track has an almost proggy feel to it that gives it a little more depth than some of the other tracks. At times, "Doom Rides These Mountains" reminded me a little of the instrumentals Iron Maiden did back in the 80s, though without the dual guitar harmonies.

The rest of the EP is consistently heavy and aggressive. The title track deals with the difficult question of America's role in today's world. The cover illustrates this point quite well by showing a group of ghouls holding a bomb named "Kingdom of America." Extreme metal often treats questions related to warfare in the modern world. In that sense, this album contributes effectively to that ongoing conversation.

Musically, the tracks are often quite good, but never quite reach as high as "Doom Rides These Mountains." It isn't because the vocals somehow ruin the music—more to the point, the other tracks are just a little less melodically interesting. Even the Misfits cover—"London Dungeon"—lacked something of the original's overall charm. For a taste of this band's heavier side, check out the aforementioned "Kingdom of America" and "Weep as we Die."

If for nothing else, listeners should definitely check out the instrumental track. They should also give a little extra attention to the drumming on this EP—the blast beats are killer and deadly precise. I don't know if they are made by a drum trigger or human feet, but they sound amazing.

Track Listing:
1. Kingdom of America
2. Weep as we Die
3. London Dungeon (Misfits Cover)
4. Doom Rides These Mountains (Instrumental)
5. Vulture Eyes
6. Gather the Wolves

Added: May 22nd 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1645
Language: english

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