DEAD EDITION are an independent Melodic Death/Groove Metal band from Ukraine. Their premiere album "Network Failure" (released last year) is an oppressive Death Metal EP that still remains smooth and harmonious. With influences such as TRIVIUM and MACHINE HEAD, heavy at one moment then smooth and melodic the next, this EP should get a lot of love from listeners who enjoy a mix of sounds and genres. I also felt the need to talk about the album cover art, which is like a tribute to HR Giger's work (creator of the famous alien from the Alien film); the cover art is bot subdued and unsettling.

The title track begins with some static and builds up to...silence. The band sets up your expectations and snatches them away - a clever and simple way to show how they are going to try to defy your expectations. "Network Failure"mixes up the tempo and feels precise and polished, with some intense moments of vicious Death Metal and long segments of smooth Groove to showcase the range of the band members. Done with their demonstration, "Marching Under their Flags"wastes no time setting up a rapidfire beat and accompanying it with a decent hook; the distortion also works really well to throw the listener off balance.

"Crowdsoul" has a rapidfire tempo - like stampeding horses or hundreds of feet crashing around in a mosh pit. It also has one of my favorite segments; right near the end, there is a riff that repeats until it almost becomes a beat of its own; like an endless repetition of a word until it is devoid of meaning, detaching the riff from what was set before it and deepening the eerie bleakness of the track. I had to keep replaying this bit over and over.

"To the Earth" is a fast-paced crushing track with some interesting changes; it manages to be startlingly abrupt and yet smooth. The latter offering is a great example of how the blending of genres can create something interesting beyond the defined lines that have been imposed onto music over time.

"The Only Cure is Dying" is a savage piece of work. There are multilayered guitars, smashing drums and firm vocals that underlie the entire thing. Finally, we come to "Cut to Black", which has more of the same but manages to mix it up enough to avoid being a weak-link .

As much as i want more from DEAD EDITION, I feel like if this EP had any more tracks on it, they may have ended up becoming blurred together instead of being a succinct package. Give this one a listen if you are into Groovy Black melodies and harmonious savagery. A live version of the title track is available through the Youtube link.