With Bloodstock fast approaching I’ve been getting hyped checking out new bands on the lineup as well as re-living Bloodstocks past on YouTube. Last year I discovered some killer bands on the New Blood stage that I’ve managed to keep up with – one being Must Kill. Their awesome debut EP, Ghost Malevolent, has had its fair share of spins in the last 12 months, so when the band announced latest EP Cause and Effect, I was excited to see what new bangers they’ve been working on.
The EP opens with “My Scourge Sentence”which wastes no time in getting straight to the thrashing point. The riffing is quite straightforward but damn catchy and energetic. It’s hard not to headbang along through the banging bulk and the chuggier middle. Little elements to the song really elevate it above being what could be considered a bog standard thrasher to some, such as the creepy synth textures , more subtle in the chorus yet more prominent in the outro. Another is the swelling bass slides in the middle and the outro, giving a booming effect almost akin to bass drops found in more electronic dance styles. I don’t feel like I’ve heard this in thrash before and it makes for a satisfyingly dirty yet heavy sound in metal.
Follow up “Bête Noire” brings a more old-skool thrash flavour, especially when it comes to the more technical riffing in the middle with cool bluesy legato ideas as the tempo increases through the solo, equally as hooky as the riffing. The song winds down with a return to the main riff, this time in a decelerating stomp. The hooks continue in what’s definitely my favourite tune on Cause and Effect, “No More”. The thrashing pace is swapped for a bouncing beat beneath another killer catchy riff, making more use of slides over the stomping drums. The song is sure to be an awesome live number – with every spin I envision Must Kill on the Ronnie James Dio stage at Bloodstock with the sweaty hordes jumping in the sun, roars of “No More!” ringing in the air, before only the beat remains and the crowd splits upon the command of “pick a side now” before converging in an epic wall of death when the beat of the final chorus drops.
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The EP ends with the recently video-spawning title track. “Cause and Effect” brings the pace down more, going between another crushing stomp blended with a more melodeth flavour. The guitars layer melodies above the chugging pre-choruses interspersed with the main straight-up rumbling death metal riff. The mid-point of the song marks an energy shift bringing a bouncier ¾ feel as the tempo picks up before ending on the main riff this time as banging chords.
Overall Must Kill have definitely delivered with Cause and Effect. Normally such straightforward thrash doesn’t always do it for me from a newer band, however Must Kill have something that I can’t help but vibe with. The riffing is simple for the most part but insanely catchy. Small musical touches and changes in rhythm, coupled with the tight and heavy yet cutting sound, keep the ears interested and the head banging. After a second 4-track EP of killer thrash, here’s hoping the future is bright for Must Kill, but for now their current duo of records will remain on regular rotation.
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Cause and Effect is out now
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