By random chance a small group of like-minded youth would soon meet and begin something that would bring some blaring noise to their otherwise quiet farming community. Emerging from within the heart of sky country, deep within the vast open plains of Saskatchewan Canada, came the most unlikely group to come together and forge a sound of blaring guitars. From friends in different places coming together to forge their own soundscape, PYTHONIC was born within the late year of 2015. Since then the band has had their share of changing members, however a solid three core members would weather it all and still remain to this day.

Having honed in on their writing and skill before attempting to take to the stage which granted them the opportunity to play at a few festivals and the Junofest with STRIKER, though the Junofest ended up canceled due to the great pandemic. But having played a few shows and with their new lineup, PYTHONIC has released their first album and EP that is simply named “EP 1”. Released September 27, 2024 independently with the hopes to showcase their talent and passion for writing Metal. Hinting at being engrained with a Groove Metal tonality that can be tinged with old school death “EP 1” will carry you for 22:43 minutes with five solid tracks. Is this the EP to help launch their music career? Let’s dive into this and see what they offer shall we.

At first glance, we look at a black and white sketch of a large tree with a man sitting at the base. The detail is difficult to make out, as it appears the man is attempting to soothe himself or something. Maybe to find peace with nature maybe or attaching himself to nature? It is hard to tell. The background appears to look as though it is a night sky filled with stars. Simple and with minimal detail. Reading the EPK, the art is to depict healing through nature. The band name sits in the center within the upper portion of the tree. Not going to lie, The EP name could have been much more thought out and possibly named after a track. The artwork is simple and can work but its detail is a bit muddled. Kind of reminds me of some of the old album art of the early 90’s underground Metal.

A solid old school Groove chord progression kicks things off before becoming tinged in old school death, even hinting at some strong Metalcore influences. “Positive Destruction” is a great way to kick things off and even leads to some solid breakdowns. With a thick and chunky intro that sets the overall pace of the track “Pills”. Soon picking up with an onslaught of lyrical aggression, thick guitars and a heavy bombardment of drums that builds the intensity. This track hits fast and hard with some solid riffs and guitar licks.

PYTHONIC claims to be Groove Metal, and though you can hear the Groove undertones, they are coated with Metalcore elements and synergise beautifully. I would argue they are more Metalcore than anything as most Metalcore/Deathcore bands usually have an element of Groove chord progressions. But the structure and execution screams Metalcore and that's a good thing. “EP 1” is a decent album. The levels are all sitting relatively where they need to be, however, the vocals fall short in some places. Lyrically they are decent as well but I feel a bit more work could have gone into them. Overall I am looking forward to hearing what comes next as you know a full-length is in the works or soon to be.

The track “Epica” has a solid intro that leads into the vocals nicely. A steady and slower pace as the powerful lyrics help drive the track home. But then it has that tasty Metalcore build up that leads back into a steady pace. The chord progressions and build up really sell this track. Overall a decent way to close their album off.

Overall, PYTHONIC did a good job, especially that some of the recording was done in a bedroom studio setup. I would say these guys are more Metalcore than anything and though “EP 1” was decently produced, I feel there could have been more work done to really tighten things up. That being said, don’t let that discourage you from getting a copy. In fact, I would recommend giving it a go and grab yourself a copy for your collection.