Allocer - Worship (EP Review)

Allocer - Worship
‍Released: March 24th, 2025‍

Lineup

Joel Pears // Vocals
Grant Withers // Guitars
Lewis Dodson // Bass
Hex Panoz // Drums

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After kicking off their careers correctly with the strong - and aptly titled - EP The First Offering in 2023, melodic death metal ragers Allocer have moved into second gear and started their year by dropping another powerhouse batch of crushing metal. Wrapped in some of the best album art you’re likely to see in ‘25, the new three-track release Worship sees the Perth exports refining their sound and putting a laser-like focus on the future.

We’re off the races immediately thanks to the raging opener ‘The Scavenger’s Daughter’, the extended play launching into life with a speedy initial onslaught. While the first minute or so is foot-to-the-floor action, the back half is where the track truly peaks; a brief dynamic break leads into building drums and layers of guitars, before climaxing with a big solo thanks to Allocer’s resident shredder Grant Withers. An obvious choice as the first single and opener, ‘The Scavenger’s Daughter’ sets the bar high for the rest of Worship, and while the following track ‘Pounds for a Pound’ isn’t as strong a cut, it still boasts a strong Black Dahlia Murder-influence; from the hummable, melodic riffage, to Joel Pears’ shrieking and growling vocals. Admittedly, there is a little room for improvement on Worship - the mix could use a little bit more air and space to help the instruments stand out; Hex Panoz’s skill behind the kit is obvious, but is let down by a flat-sounding mix. That being said, it is undeniable that Worship is a strong step up in quality from one of the Western Coast’s most promising heavy exports.

The closing mid-paced track ‘Drogher’ has probably the only real deathcore influence on the EP, with the end of the final song featuring a beefy beatdown (before segueing into a melodic piano motif), but as a whole the three-song effort features less of a ‘core’ influence compared to their debut. Instead, Allocer have doubled down on the classic melodic death metal troupes, separating themselves from the hardcore-influenced Australian heavy music scene - and while the well-versed metalhead may have heard a lot of similar aspects before, the Western Australians have landed on a timeless sound that is still easy to build a unique legacy upon.

With two winning EPs under their belts, let’s hope Allocer’s first full length is not far off in the future - as while Allocer aren’t quite the finished product, Worship proves they are one of the brightest lights in the Australian death metal scene.

Rating: 8/10
‍Worship is out March 24th. Pre-save here
Review By – Andrew Kapper. Twitter: @andrew_kapper