Following hard on the heels of the highly acclaimed debut full length album that showcased SARCOPTES' ingenuity of blending Thrash and Death metal influences effortlessly in an epic Black metal template, on this new EP they take things up a notch and exhibit renewed passion and flair further cementing their unique yet highly enjoyable sound. The two songs here are terrific examples of brilliant songwriting that weaves together myriad elements without losing cohesion or continuity. This EP serves as a perfect precursor to the upcoming full-length album that is in the works. If this is anything to go by, the future of US Black Metal is in safe hands.

"The Vertigo Soul" is the first track. It opens with a furious guitar work and a long scream. There are some background elements working to keep the sound thick, but the guitars are dissonant. It does indeed sound like a cross between Thrash, Death, and Black Metal, but they aren't winning any points for originality or diversity. They vary the riffing a bit here and there, which isn't uncommon in the Thrash Metal genre, but these aren't riffs that you haven't heard before.

"La Moria Grandissima" opens with more that background ambiance that I wish they would use more to really bring out some uniqueness in their music. It's 11-minutes in length, but again doesn't offer much in the way of originality. Some keys bring some variegate to the table, but five minutes in and it's repetitive and unruly. The extended instrumental passage does showcase the band's ability to play well but choosing riffs that you have heard before doesn't really cut it for this reviewer. It slows towards the end, with some melodic guitars and keys. This is the sound I have been waiting to hear since the start of the album.

Overall, this is more of the same sound that has been out there and re-done for years. Sure, the guys are strong musicians, but they have to push themselves to create something that hasn't already been created. Intensity and rage will only take a band so far. There were some good moments in the final track, but it wasn't enough to overtake the fact that this blueprint has already been laid, over and over again, to the point of throwing originality out of the window.