DEATHKINGS is a Los Angeles Sludge/Doom Metal band with two full lengths under their belt-this EP, "Ex Nihilo" marks their second short release.  Before the promo MP3's found their way to my email, I had never heard of the band.  No doubt, I will now go back and devour everything they have to offer.  I know it is early in the new year but I seriously doubt I'll encounter any albums that are as shrieking darkness filled as the two tracks presented on this short EP.   It was released in December of last year, sure, but I'm just now hearing it.  The guitar tone is probably the music black holes could make.  The bass and drums lay such a heavy fog on the rhythmic foundation that I'm shocked that any sound can escape such dense shadows the music crawls from.  And the vocals?  Shock and painful torture in audible form.

"Absolution," opens with a scream that cries out from the darkness.  A solid, almost drone like bass guitar tone throbs away any light that manages to filter thru, the guitar riff is simple but dense and heavy, a very strong compliment to the drums that match it. The subtle, bare melodies that appear about 1:50 into the song only serve to manage the darkness just enough for the listener to cope. Soon, the band switches gears and offers some really oppressive ambient tones before finishing out the song in a chaotic doomed ending.

"Celestial Birds" speeds up the temp of their rumbling Doom just a bit but they never surrender that sound, the bitterness of a forgone hope.  This track has more sludge elements up front in the mix; think CROWBAR but more Death Metal influenced and definitely more dark (if you can believe it).  It is definitely more riff based than the first track, and the solo is well done—it is good that both songs show different sides of the band and their sound.

It is extremely difficult to rate an EP/album that contains only two songs.  However, considering how solid the songs are, I'm going to rate it high because with just these songs, they have raised the bar considerably for Doom.   In the end, the EP has definitely served its purpose:  providing great Doom Metal and making me want even more music of DEATHKINGS.  I can't wait for their next full length.