THE MISER, a four piece band out of London, England, has a sound and style very similar to influential acts from the early seventies era. From their own press release, "THE MISER have been throwing down analog soaked tunes and making no apology for it since 2014." Bless them for it, as this new self-titled EP is truly a breath of fresh air in the digital age.

I hate to admit it, but when I was assigned this review, I was, sadly, completely unaware of this band. They have been together, and productive, for six years. I should have known about them simply because their style is completely within my wheelhouse; and I search out this kind of thing on a weekly basis. Having said that, my first duty on this was to go back and take a listen to what has come before. What I found was the 2018 release "Where The Evil Things Dwell," with its riff heavy anthems, triads, and full-on metal aural assault...and I was sold.

The opener of this four-song, self-titled EP (and the first song to be released, in April of this year) is the incredible "What A Pity." I was taken by how good this song truly sounds, with a snarling guitar tone and bombastic bass and drum sound on par with anyone in the industry. These guys are obviously the real deal and have assembled the personnel around them to grab the sound they seek. As heavy as the track is in spots, the vocal is quite clear- and with lyrical content such as "What a pity life didn't turn out great for you- What a pity you didn't rule the world" you want that message conveyed as strongly and clearly as possible.

"Newks Of War" follows, with a strong anti-draft/anti-war stance and more absolutely slamming musical contributions from Haslett, Hull, and Danby. There is obviously some influence here from the likes of BLACK SABBATH and BUDGIE, but the record never feels like a retread. It certainly isn't imitation; merely a nod to the masters.

On the two remaining tracks, the anti-corporate soaked "Judgement Day" and the BUDGIE-like funk of "Numb," there is no let down to be had. I found myself wanting more, and I can't wait for the bands next release. These guys are all over it.