Sometimes Heavy Metal bands can lose sight of creating interesting music in their quest to be more brutal than the next band. Not so with SUBJECT TO SLAUGHTER. They temper the heaviness of their Deathcore and Djent influences with interesting songwriting and an engaging concept on "Eschatology", their debut EP.

"Intro" gives a sense of impending doom, with sinister-sounding violins. Mournful guitar riffs emphasize this mood. When the breakdown comes, it is supplemented with additional riffs instead of being the usual Deathcore breakdown of open G chugging. "Olympus" reveals the main theme of the EP, namely destruction of the world as humans (and gods) know it. Indecipherable vocals generally don't bother me on Extreme Metal albums, but I'm glad that the band decided to provide lyrics on their Bandcamp page. I feel that the effort put into crafting interesting lyrics adds gravitas and maturity to the EP. Stefan Prins gives a powerful performance throughout the album, and does equally well on guttural vocals as he does on constricted vocals. The "harmonies" which combine both styles add punch and texture where they are used.

The cymbal beat on "Olympus" got my head banging. It's a great track, and my only complaint is that I seemed to hear a "ticker" in the background. Anrich Engelbrecht brings finesse to the heaviness of his drumming, adding interesting fills and flourishes throughout. It's not all heavy and fast drumming all the time though - "Ripened for Gorging" brings in a slower tempo. The song picks up the pace with an addictive beat. Having seen the band live, I can attest that this song works just as well on an EP as it does live. The moments of heavy and fast drumming are interspersed with moments of suspension and/or silence, which prevents tedium from setting in. These musical "negative spaces" show compositional skills at work.

One of the major highlights of this album for me is the guitar work. Conrad Lottering is impressive both on the Djent parts and the clean solos, while Kobus Neethling provides a solid rhythm. In their bio, the band states old-school influences such as METALLICA, which shows up subtly through the clean riffs and solos in the tracks. The countermelodies work well and add interest, as on "Massacre In Paradise". The use of clean riffs after the breakdown gives the song room to breathe. The guitar tones work very well with the subject matter throughout the album. On "Omega", the clean riffs in the intro add to the sense of impending disaster. The latter begins with a haunting bass riff. Werner Barnardo's bass work is subtle, without being entirely lost. I would have liked to have the bass a little bit higher in the mix. The bass melody repeats during a quieter interlude, before the rest of the band comes in. Synth parts are used strategically in places, adding to the track's grim atmosphere. "Omega" has become my favorite track on the EP.

Overall, I think that "Eschatology" is an excellent debut from a band with a distinct sound. In my opinion, they've achieved their goal of "breaking away from the boring, repetitive Metalcore sound". I look forward to hearing what SUBJECT TO SLAUGHTER will do on a full-length album.<