END Shake Hands with Cult Leader on Chaotic Split-EP Gather & Mourn

So we all know that Fit For An Autopsy's Will Putney (check out our Virtual Hangs interview here) is a bit of a mastermind in the scene, and he's probably mixed your favourite band's latest album - just check out part of his resume that he shared with us here). Well, since Putney doesn't trot the globe with the rest of FFAA, he won't be coming downunder shortly with the band - he's keeping rather busy recording new music for his other precious project - END.

The outfit are a supergroup of sorts, consisting of vocalist Brendan Murphy (Counterparts), bassist Jay Pepito (Reign Supreme / ex-Blacklisted), guitarist Gregory Thomas (ex-Misery Signals), drummer Billy Rymer (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan), and of course Putney, also on guitar. They sport more of a mathcore type sound and have spilled into the scene with debut album People of the Stream's Mouth in 2014, followed by From the Unforgiving Arms of God in 2017.

They've now released a first taste of new music since their 2020 sophomore record Splinters from an Ever-Changing Face, but we'll get to that in a minute - we need to talk about another band first, called Cult Leader. Enter a hardcore-punk group reigning from Salt Lake City, Utah who formed back in 2013. Most of the members joined from metalcore band Gaza. Cult Leader have quite the discography if you haven't come across their jams before; go give a spin to most recent albums Lightless Walk from 2015 and A Patient Man from 2018.

END and Cult Leader (with Putney mixing both as the common thread) have now joined forced to release four-track Split-EP Gather & Mourn, out September 9 via Closed Casket Activities and Deathwish Inc. - of course with a bunch of sick vinyl variants. In announcing this monster EP, each of the two bands have released a single each - END with 'Eden Will Drown' and Cult Leader with 'Ataraxis'. 

'Eden Will Drown' has END engrossed in the perfection of calculated chaos with moments of oblivion. With guitars screeching across the track and echoing vocals bursting throughout, END finish the track in the same mess they started it in, and it's just wonderful. Cult Leader continue down the exact same track with 'Ataraxis' making this collaboration a rather ideal one. With an even faster and crustier tempo than their counterparts, Cult Leader strike more of a balance with grooves and carnage - this includes a demonic vocal effort from Anthony Lucero. Overall, these two tracks deliver a combination of mayhem and the EP is surely going to be a rather wild one. 

Words by Ricky Aarons (@rickysaul90)

Stream END - 'Eden Will Drown' here, Cult Leader - 'Ataraxis' here and
Pre-order / Pre-save Gather & Mourn here
Out September 9 via Closed Casket Activities and Deathwish Inc.

END / Cult Leader - Gather & Mourn Split-EP tracklisting

1. Eden Will Drown (END)
2. The Host Will Soon Decay (END)
3. Ataraxis (Cult Leader)
4. Long Shadows (Cult Leader)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e5c5mnAuGA