MASSACRE have been playing traditional death metal off and on since 1986. This EP, "Mythos," is a tribute to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. He largely invented the Cthulhu Mythos. The metal world is no stranger to his work. There are countless bands, albums, and songs dedicated to his oeuvre. MASSACRE's lyrics are heavily influenced by Lovecraft.

"Behind The Serpent's Curse" features guest guitars by Anders Odden and starts fast with a very nice riff. Kam's vocals are on point in this song. There's a quick little bass solo that I dug, and the hook is pretty nice. While not groundbreaking, this incarnation of MASSACRE comprises seasoned professionals who are good at making death metal.

"The Dunwich Horror" starts slow and spooky, but they keep it brief. They add some guitar, and Kam's signature deep growls are ushered in. This one is standard death metal fare. It's still fun, but it doesn't have any major high points, either. The song structure is simple, and Kam sings the song title a few too many times for my liking.

"The Mythos That Lovecraft Built" is similar, only faster this time. The vocals are still the best thing on this track. This one left me wondering why this song is on the EP, when the album's concept celebrates the titular mythos. It felt trite, tacked on, and, frankly, redundant, especially since their previous full-length "Resurgence" also largely dealt with Lovecraftian tropes.

I liked "The Thing On The Doorstep." I thoroughly enjoyed the vocals, it has a great hook and excellent solos. It's still more of the same, though. I like how it is structured, but there isn't anything exceptional about this one.

This EP didn't do it for me. I thought "Resurgence" was pretty fun. Again, that album isn't anything to get excited about. There have been several excellent and exciting death metal albums released this year. Several death metal releases just didn't measure up. Unfortunately, "Mythos" is a release for the latter group.