This melodic black/death metal trio were together in the year of 1994, as the guitarist/bassist JOHN ZWETSLOOT brought this band together after his previous band DISSECTION had gone their separate ways. So of course this gave JOHN ZWETSLOOT the perfect opportunity to put together a different band with a completely new goal and musical direction, so the band CARDINAL SIN was formed along with two other members. They were guitarist/bassist DEVO ANDERSON and vocalist/drummer JOCKE GOTHBERG as the band had formed, they had actually released two demos in 1994 before a third demo was also released in 1995. The first demo contained three tracks altogether then the second demo just had the one track, as the third demo had just two instrumental tracks to speak of.

Sometime after these demos were released the band themselves went on to write and release what was their only EP titled SPITEFUL INTENTS in 1996 as this EP contained a total of seven tracks, however the original EP had four tracks, the additional three tracks were added in as part of an reissue of the EP. The reissue of this EP was released through Helter Skelter Productions as the original record label (Wrong Again Records) the band used for the EP release back in 1996 was closed down. So onto the EP itself, we begin with the first track which is "Spiteful Intent" as we hear acoustic guitar being strummed quite gently, vocals can be heard but then a stirring build up to some vengeful drumming along with guitars and vocals too. The drums can be heard very clearly, the vocals are certainly of the black metal kind, the guitars and drums a mix of both death & black metal combined. The drums follow some complex patterns of fast hits then guitars play a short solo part with drums striking the cymbals also then back to the full band playing as before. There are some more cymbal hits as the full band can be heard but the drummer switches up to a more straight-forward pattern, even the timing seems different too as the drummer fits in some cool fills on the toms, as guitar enjoys some tasty riffs with some cool effects. A short pause before some guitars and drums are back in without vocals is an interesting section, before vocals return for the run for the hills as the drums speed up until the end.

"Probe With A Quest" has some guitar riffs playing psychedelic style notes at a slower pace than before then drums do join as they are playing some simplified patterns with some tasty fills going on. Vocals as before are harsh and very much of the death metal nature, the disgust and filth of the vocalists approach is certainly as expected. There is definitely a swing or groovy movement however moving there is a short guitar solo part before drums and bass guitar come back in, the track progresses on as the vocals comes in, there are some drum solo fills coming in as well as vocals hanging onto a sustained note. "The Cardinal Sin" opens with the full band coming in as drums smashing through speedy metal patterns with complex grooves and dynamic fills. Then some bone crunching drums really sets the tone as does bass guitar and lead guitar with vocals giving some brief contributions, where they are so satanic in their own way. There is a real continuous movement and momentum in this track as the drums and guitars tear through the audio spectrum as vocals are sick and filthy as they have been so bold and pure cunning.

"Language And Sorrow" is merely a short in fact very short acoustic guitar intermission to give the EP a break in transmission however it is back to what this band does best in the next track which is "Fallen From Life's Enlightened Throne". This fifth track offers so much in what the band can do, with simple drumming but also supported by some epic guitar riffs, even the drums do get to enjoy the spotlight with some solo parts, as vocals also come in when they can. The drums also incorporate some double kicks to add to the mix, as they really come out of their shell with excellent fills plus the lead guitar does compliment it with some high pitch note picking giving the track a lot of excitement and pleasure. Even the closing section has some really cool dialogue between guitars and drums, as we come to the next track which is "Ante Mortem" opening with some rather horrifying screaming and mysterious sounds with some guitar picking. Then off we go straight into some bombarding drums with guitar giving them the spark they need to fly off to a speed that is consistent and cool as anything. Then some groovy patterns by drum with guitars supporting them as drums prove themselves worthy of our undivided attention as they include more double kicks to really punch to the mix. The guitars do have some psychedelic influences to its tone and even bass guitar receives a place under the microscope briefly, but then vocals capture the imagination of what this band is all about.

A thrashy and mammoth drum based section with guitars and vocals pouring their heart and soul into the track, so now we come to the final track of this EP. This final track is "Infernal Death" with some heavy duty cymbals counting in the guitars to cue themselves as the other members of the band also come in together. The arrangement of drums and guitar is fairly straight-forward but then the whole track takes an interesting turn when the drums drive even further from its own direction, as they are ramped up in speed or tempo, with the rest of the band following along. This is a heavier and black metal speed that can certainly be more familiar to those who listen to black metal more but still has its lighter melodic elements also in there. Overall this is a promising EP that certainly captures the bands tone and approach, we can always hear the aspects of black metal and melodic death metal being welded together into a new sculpture that is quite distinct. So with that in mind, it is safe to say this band have created such an interesting EP that has now been reissued so that perhaps their music will not be forgotten as well as open a doorway for a new generation of fans of CARDINAL SIN. The EP certainly has its moments and does certainly stand out more from other black metal bands for its fine touches of melodic guitars as well as the drumming that can be heard clearly yet the vocals do define the black metal tone.