"Static" is the debut EP from new alt-metallers on the block, Australian trio CANYON. With a heady mix of alternative metal meets subtle injections of grunge and stoner-infused prog, CANYON meld together qualities from each aspect to produce an easy-listening five-track collection of melodious passages, temporal teases and an addictive alt-vibe that's nostalgic of the days of SOUNDGARDEN.

The upbeat "Insane" is a strong opener for CANYON's release, overlaying a mellowed fuzz of bass with heavy riffs, driving tempo and hooks to keep you satisfied for days on end. From the off, this EP is steeping in a redolent SOUNDGARDEN vibe - even Alex's vocals are reminiscent of Chris Cornell's honeyed tones - with a healthy blend of upbeat moments to please and well-timed laid-back occasions to unwind. The tracks are lyrically enticing, with solid structure and textural richness, as seen in percussion driven "Keep Me Waiting" with its rich, stifling tone and thick riffs.

Moving onto my personal highlight of "Static", is the breath-taking "Gone Before Your Time". Saturated with emotive introspection, this is a mellow, sprawling cut stripped bare with a delicate fragility about it, yet simultaneously sombre-drenched and fired by rage. The perfect synergy between the bass and guitar creates a carefully crafted mellifluous tone, perfected by an escalating bass-heavy richness in well-thought structure, combined with a shattering bridge that simply tears through with aggressive wailing passages and vocals that penetrate to the core. It has to be said, one can't help but feel this composition is driven by something very personal; CANYON deliver vulnerability, rawness and soul in this piece and it's worth every bit of listening. It got me right in the feels (I swear it was the onions).

CANYON are refined in their delivery in some aspect and a little rawer in other places. Take "Minority Outspoken", for example, a tasty little treasure of rawness with a fistful of fuzzed distortion and prominent percussion, yet still filled to the brim with alluring entice. Conversely, title-track "Static" simmers things down a little more, moving into a refined output as a slower, brooding track that gently bubbles and caresses. Its chorus-led mellowness and teasing textural qualities, merged with mighty measures of fuzzed flirtation, lead to a sultry sexiness that grips.

"Static" is a fascinating listen, full of heady heavy metal and grunge vibes, interwoven with an appealing mesh of stoner-meets-progressive output. CANYON have compiled a sturdy collection of enticing tracks that give the listener enough sonic intrigue to whet their appetite, without giving too much away for the audience to lose interest and give up the chase. These guys are definitely ones to keep an eye on...