Berlin-based Melodeath outfit BURN DOWN EDEN, hot off the release of their third studio album, sharing the band's name, follow on hard and fast with their Sermonize EP. Featuring machine-gun blastbeats and crunchy chainsaw guitars, raw aggression and highly calculated harmony emerge to create a rich and complex display of beautiful, melodious violence.

Opening track "Inquisitorial Belief Assertion" draws in the listener with really quite beautiful acoustic guitars, demonstrating the band's genuine grasp of melody and harmony. After almost a minute the door is kicked in and the chaos begins. Incredible drumming carries this along, with lightning-fast guitar playing. It's one hell of an aural assault and it kicks serious ass!

If BURN DOWN EDEN use the opening track to tell the listener what they're all about, then "Sermonize" is all about giving it their absolute best! From crushingly powerful guitar melodies and Pether's rich vocal variety, everything great that really good Melodeath has to offer is on display. These guys have got it, and got it in spades!

"Obey Or Die" possesses that characteristic ¾ beat that is all-too-familiar to fans of Melodeath. Reminding the listener slightly of AT THE GATES' "Slaughter Of The Soul", all the energy screams of a genuine genius! The guitar-playing is especially tight here, William and Tom really showing off their skills - don't talented people really just wind you up?!

"Face The Void" showcases epic sweeping guitar from the word go, with more of the ¾ classic timing. I don't know the music theory behind it but something about that particular timing just works really well with Melodeath. Crushing blastbeats and relentless tremolo riffs nonetheless retain all the melody and tunefulness these guys have built up to now. The limits of just what can still be melodic when so heavy are really pushed to the extreme.

"Deus Vult" feels almost like a Technical Death metal track, with impressive harmonising by the guitarists in the opening bars. A key change or two add some spice to this particular number, along with an especially heartfelt solo. Quite simply this is brilliant. The production is near-perfect, with all the instruments able to shine in their own spotlight. The songs are interesting and feature enough flurry to force the listener to pay attention. The sheer instrumental mastery on display is frankly staggering. These guys know their craft and manage a fine middle-ground between automaton-level proficiency whilst also retaining great heart and feeling. These are the torch-bearers for modern Melodeath and demand your attention, dear reader!Score: 9