KAPALA, a death metal outfit from India, return with their new EP "Termination Apex". The overall recording of the EP is rough but there is some brilliance to what the band is achieving with their sound. Even though the EP is really rough I can appreciate some of what KAPALA is going for with their brutal sound. The opening intro "The Beating Heart of War" just brings an atmospheric sound of dread and wartime that sets up the EP nicely. There is some good guitar work done in "Marital Dominance" and some accompanying machine gun styled drumming that is heard as well. The unfortunate thing for the track is the vocals and drumming kind of drown one each other out so it's hard to make out what is happening. The only time there is some discernible musicianship is when the vocals go away from the deep gutter growls.

The slowing of the tempo also helps to bring it more of the guitar work. "Moral Attrition" brings in a much better sound as there are air raid sirens heard under a chunky bass line. The guitars in this track is what interests me the most as it sounds like it has an almost industrial element to it. The track belts into a punishing death metal sound. The sound is very similar to what The Berzerker sounds like. A brutal and fast industrial type sound. But again, the recording is the downfall of the track. It is very quiet, so it is hard to get the full effect of the track. "Paths of Ash" also has a lot of promise to it as well. The track is brutal. There is some killer guitar work happening coupled with some brutal blast beats. But you must really listen closely to differentiate the instruments. I really wish I could hear a better recording of this band. I can hear the brutal nature of the music but having to listen that hard is a problem.

KAPALA is brutal and there is no arguing that. They bring some very raw death metal, but the production of the EP is lacking. If they can find some way to fix their recording woes, they would be a force to reckon with. I know people dig that rough and raw recorded sound. But this is too much for me.