Ahead of a new EP, US thrashers Overt Enemy have just officially released their debut, Inception on Bandcamp and if you missed it upon its initial outing last year via Confused Records there is little excuse to make the same mistake again. Acknowledged as “the best Slayer tribute in North America” the Mission, Texas based band provides three original tracks upon their first EP which command, no demand eager attention.
Formed in 2013, Overt Enemy have proceeded to share stages with the likes of Accused A.D., Angkor Wat, Confused, Panteon, X.I.L, Severance, and Sons of Texas, their reputation growing along with an inclination to focus on creating original music. As mentioned the band is currently working on their follow-up release, Possession being recorded with producer/engineer Joshua Lopez (Immortal Guardian), and you can imagine that its anticipation will only be increased with this reboot of Inception.
The EP opens up with Mercenary and from the off has ears involved as wiry strands of enticing guitars cloak disorder carrying samples. Swiftly the suggestive threat and intrigue of those initial lures are taken up by rolling beats, drummer Jaime Ayala further fuelling the song’s immediate drama before the great trespassing vocals of Leo Ortiz launch their threat and accusation in the midst of his and fellow guitarist Rob Hahn’s riffs and incursive grooves. It is a great, rousing start to the release only enhanced by the throbbing grumbling mumble of Slayerella’s brooding bass.
Political Cancer follows with the bass an instant dark incitement before the citric melodic enterprise of guitar wind around surging riffs. Though there is an immediate urgency to the song it manages to prowl, indeed stalk the listener throughout as Ortiz’s tones harass and arouse. In time the track does throw off its reins and goes for the jugular to only escalate its incitement and the resulting pleasure.
The EP’s title track is next, Inception sidling up to the listener on a web of guitar wiring courted by heavy breaths. Enticement and threat colours every bit of the coaxing, its intrigue generating greater interest and involvement as the instrumental invades, intimates, and then slips away leaving thoughts locked in their own conjuring.
Completed by radio edits of the first two tracks, Inception is a potent and thickly enjoyable introduction to Overt Enemy. They may have a great reputation playing Slayer tracks but if this EP is a sign of things to come they will be breeding one just as strong for their own invention.
The Inception EP is available now @
http://overtenemy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/overtenemy/ https://twitter.com/OvertEnemyBand
Pete RingMaster 12/03/2019
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Blood-Red Revolt brought even stronger enticement and incitement to body and pleasure, the track a definite favourite, writhing as it fingers the imagination with its boisterously manipulative and widely flavoursome antics before, following the brief chillingly haunting and increasingly threatening lead of …and Winter Comes, the predacious Inner Plague prowls and teasing the senses with its own venomous but darkly seductive threat. As ever the tenebrific yet tempting growl of Maks’ bass fuels the alluring menacing; constantly keeping the listener on their toes alongside the drums even as melodic flames and enterprise blazes away.
That predatory air retains its presence within The Demagogue, the following song also a court of threat and contagion which almost swaggers around ears as the guitars spin their sonic threads and rhythms pounce. Like a fusion of bands like Testament and Slayer, it hits the spot; increasing its temptation as calmer climes are ventured and melodic intimation embraced. It’s subsequent rising heat and intensity brings it back to its original sonic inference before Saviour explores an even darker trespass of menace and seduction. As we suggested, Infrared is not set on reinventing the wheel of thrash metal or even their core sound but there is a bold lining of adventure and imagination which makes their music and especially this track stand out.
The EP opens up with Brain Bleach and instantly prowls the listener with predacious riffs and rhythms. Guitarists Sven Caes and Glenn Labie wind their bait and emerging grooves around ears as drummer Frederik Vanwijmelbeke pounds with controlled but voracious intent. In the midst of the sizing up vocalist Thomas Marijsse brings a raw agitation which in turn is courted by the heavy grumble of Frederik Declercq’s bass. The song continues to stalk and tenderise the senses, going up a gear or two but never going for the jugular. Instead it springs a virulent groove which had the body bouncing as a swift appetite for the band’s sound erupted. That cycle repeats with greater tenacity and intensity, the track making for a tremendous start with a vocal self-diagnosis adding to its instinctive contagion.
Three tracks in and it is fair to say that Against The Odds had us hooked and even more so as the atmospheric opening of Perseverance glides over the imagination. Its progressively hued suggestiveness subsequently parts way for a harsher climate to surround the senses but Crisix continue to experiment and weave an imaginative adventure as metalcore and other varied metallic hues entangle. Arguably the boldest track on the album for stretching their thrash instincts it is a wholly magnetic affair suggesting exciting new exploits ahead with the band.
It is a potent and enticing start Dead On Arrival continues with its bristling and irritable but fiercely infectious attack. Leading up to its virulent chorus, the song commands eager attention but grabs it like a puppeteer with a focal point which has neck muscles and fists as involved as vocal chords. Around that beast of a chorus, the guitars weave a web of enticement as rhythms again prowl and pounce with anthemic prowess, the track real evidence of the band’s growing and evolving sound whilst stirring up the senses and attitude with prime thrash volatility.
