MORTAL CHAINS hailing from Durham, England are a Death Metal band. “Committed To Flames” is their third EP and it has a length of about 28 minutes. The EP was produced, mixed and mastered by Neil Combstock (LUCIFER’S CHALICE). It is an independent release. The release starts with an extended instrumental part driven by the guitar riffing at mid-tempo, transitioning into fast verse parts of “All Alike Will Burn”. The track is a mixture of fast and mid-tempo parts, all driven by simple and direct riffing. The vocals are growls which are at around the medium end of the guttural range. The track has a bit of complexity in the song textures as it does not follow a simple verse/chorus structure and as a result there are a few twists and turns in tempo and rhythm. “Before Your Deaf God” has a frantic start with the tight guitar riffing and the vocals are driving the song forward at high pace. While most of the track, including the short lead guitar solo are played at crazy pace, there is also a down-tempo part with thunderous guitar riffs at a sluggish rhythm. “A Sign To Ward Off Silence” starts immediately with the verse part at mid-tempo. The riffing is a gain simple and direct and has at times some Rock’n Roll vibes. The track is not the most traditional Death Metal song I ever heard; it has many different influences. There are a few subtle changes in tempo and rhythm, where the riffing is more playful during the faster parts of the track.

 “Torment” is another mid-tempo track, and the sound of MORTAL CHAINS starts to repeat itself a bit. “Torment” does not really offer something different compared to the previous tracks in terms of riffing and vocals. Perhaps the lead guitar solo is a bit cleaner and played with more purpose. “Weight Of Ages” has a powerful instrumental start at measured tempo, transitioning into a fast track. It is the first track with a dark melodic framework, where the melodies have even some melancholic features at times. Kat Shevil (WINDS OF GENOCIDE; THRONEHAMMER) provides guest vocals on the track. “Weight Of Ages” was uploaded on YouTube by the band, and the link is provided below. The EP finishes with the title track and it starts with a lengthy lead guitar part at mid-tempo which transitions into a fast verse part with powerful guitar riffing. Again, the track does not really sound different as the tracks before with exception of the introductory part and the lengthy final part. Altogether, the title track is with nine minutes playing time the longest song on the EP, however, the length does not offer anything extra.

 MORTAL CHAINS deliver an EP, which leaves me with mixed feelings. I am not quite sure what “Committed To Flames” has potentially to offer. All songs are mainly driven by the guitars and the vocals, but both sound one-dimensional and repetitive. Did I hear any distinct drum pattern? Not really. Did I hear a characteristic melodic sound? No. In my opinion, the release lacks many features of a good Death Metal release. The production of the EP leaves also room for improvement. Is “Committed To Flames” a release that will stay in the memories for a long time? Probably not.