It's been entirely too long since I've heard something this engaging sprout seemingly out of nowhere from the icy soils of Scandinavia, and I'm glad that DREADFUL FATE's "The Sin Of Sodom" is the sapling that tripped me up in my travels.

This is Blackened Thrash of the highest calibre, tearing relentlessly through the brain with undeniably wicked power and fury. At only three songs, the debut has only seen its release on limited edition cassette, however, "The Sin Of Sodom" is soon to be released on vinyl, as well. Fans of DARKTHRONE, 1349, KREATOR, and SARDONIC WITCHERY should all have no problems getting into this one, as it contains elements of all of these amazing artists, and manages to stay on its own path while paying homage to them.

The EP opens with the title track, "The Sin Of Sodom". All at once, crushing guitars, drilling bass, and demonically possessed vocals pour themselves over a blistering display of drumming, and in an instant, the listener knows that this will be something good. The song does well in displaying attention to production, understanding of song structure, and playing ability, all while keeping true to what the darker side of Metal has always been about. The hate and anger literally permeate through the speakers, acting as a secondary release for all of the pain and suffering pent up inside you. It does what it's supposed to do, and wows in the process.

Song two, "Unholy Lust", cascades downward with the force of an avalanche made of fire. With its furious thrashing approach, the track presents itself effortlessly, never backing down as it gallops through the trenches of Helvete upon its cloven hooves, kicking up the dust of ages past whilst progressing forward into uncharted territory. There is a breakdown towards the end of the song that would make any metalhead happy to have pressed "play", and it had this fan searching his living room for an area to start a pit. Excellent Black Thrash assault!

At merely three songs, many consumers might expect to be ripped off, musically speaking, prior to a good and attentive listen. However, the EP's short length is most definitely outweighed by this band's ability to hit the mark with every single note; a longer first-time effort could have easily been overkill. In any case, track three, "Tormentor", was the perfect choice by DREADFUL FATE to close this heavy and dark assault on the senses. This song boasts First Wave Black Metal intensity, and simultaneously exhibits some top rate early Thrash qualities. It's a feat that's been tried countless times before by bands o' plenty, but DREADFUL FATE executes with crystal clarity and musical prowess.

While I, for one, can't wait for a full-length effort to surface somewhere in the near future, I have to admit that I'm more than fine with what I've been presented by this band in the here and now. If you like your Metal dark and evil (as I tend to) then do yourself a favour, and pick up this gem of an EP yesterday. This release is what it's all about, and then some!