Album/EP

Convulse AU - Necrosis (EP Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Mar 5, 2020

7 min read

Convulse AU - Necrosis EP
Released: 5th March, 2020

Lineup

Nathan Kennedy - Guitar
Jordan Leaver - Guitar
Jonothan Donoghue - Vocals
Jack Nelson - Drums
Kyle Baker - Bass

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Cast your memory back a few months to Christmas time. The festive period was upon us and Make Them Suffer hosted a sick little Christmas show in Perth, where they welcomed local band Convulse AU to come tear it up with them, read about the chat we had with them about it here.

Well, they promised us a little EP in 2020, and they’ve just delivered a monster one at that. So here’s a track-by-track run-down of the multi-sub-genre infused EP Necrosis which is out today, so get your finger-tips on it - well, on your preferred streaming app, we suppose.

Opening track ‘Deprecate’ begins with an immersive intro that collapses into chaotic drums and purging roars. The melodic chaos channels a faster rendition of The Acacia Strain, and is an absolute head-banger. The track spans three-minutes, and like the rest of the EP, it’s short and sharp, which kind of works, no bullshit, no fillers. The latter third of the opener contains a blistering breakdown that picks up with vocalist Jonothan Donoghue prolonging each lyric.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKXtYk8M-zs&w=640&h=360]

Next up is the title track which is even less than three-minutes, but packed with more than a punch. Meshuggah lend a hand from a drumming point of view, with guitars tuned with that recognisable prog rusty stench, and boy does it smell good. After a minute, the crescendo hits with complements of a series of double-kick drums. Donoghue diverts towards a spoken-word verse before unleashing refuelled energy into a throat-wrenching squeal between bass-drops and pounding of the drums; the sound kind of enters a doom-type energy without quite transcending fully into that genre.

Mid-way through this piercingly strong EP is ‘The Fall’ which is even shorter again, spanning just over two-minutes - you won’t want to miss a second. The mystic undertone of this track is grooved by strong riffs and a steady rhythm, until all of that dissipates into an immediate and delicious breakdown - you know the type where your whole body head-bangs? Well, it’s kind of like that, for the rest of the track, beautiful work.

Before the closing track, ‘Victimized’ is out of Convulse AU’s cage and kicks off with that signature metalcore ‘zingy riff’ (that musicians would probably better describe) that often precede metallic chaos. Well, they delivered that, but with a crunchy and explosive pounce into your ear-drums. That Meshuggah-like energy returns with this track, with a fast and low-tuned approach. There are several breakdowns in this song, but less of a tidal wave than previous tracks, and more of surfer waves (if that analogy makes sense). It allowed the band to deliver a few of these without sounding repetitive. The in-between grooves were an awesome way to connect these and proved the band can balance contemporary sounds with a traditional metal ethos.

Finally, ‘Prometheus’ features to close the band’s debut release - a track they released to the world just before their Christmas show. It starts off eerier than any of the others we’ve heard so far, and then rapidly transitions into a poetic verse, with exhale growls and their biggest breakdown yet. The production is incredibly impressive for the crisp delivery of the pounding drums and bass that are delivered in complete unison to the steady verses preceding it. The closing minute of the song is delicious, as you immerse yourself in that head-banging trance one last time.

Overall, this snappy EP is a brilliant way for Convulse AU to showcase their capabilities and what they have to offer the Perth and Aussie metal community in the next little while. Bring it on, dudes!