Hailing from Newcastle, Australia, CHAOSAINT formed in 2015 and released their debut EP, "In the Name Of", and the accompanying single "Darkness Following" in 2020. They play a mix of old school Hard Rock and classic Heavy Metal of the eighties with more modern Groove Metal, sometimes verging on Alternative Metal. Subsequently their sound is modern with lots of nods to the eighties metal heritage.

The music is catchy and engaging. The verses are hard and driving, reminding me of early 90s MEGADETH and METALLICA circa "The Black Album", while the choruses have a more modern, post-95, "post-thrash" vibe ala MACHINE HEAD, leaning into more mainstream-friendly metal. Despite the "chaos" in the band's name, their songs are mostly structured in a conventional rock style and are centered around catchy choruses that are more or less radio-friendly. The vocals in the verses tend to have a bit more charge and aggression, but the choruses are cleaner and emotionally-driven.

As with all such chorus-oriented metal, the music stands or falls on the strength of the hooks. Thankfully, CHAOSAINT are no slouches when it comes to songwriting. All five songs have strong, memorable hooks in the verses, bridges and especially the choruses. The lead single "Darkness Following" has this main driving, headbanging riff that animates the verses, sounding like something straight out of early 80s JUDAS PRIEST. This vibe continues into the chorus, although the vocal lines (particularly in the chorus) sound distinctly modern: I cannot pinpoint it to any one band in particular, but I feel like a vocal performance like this couldn't exist before 1999.

"Darkness Following" might be the catchiest song, but "Both Eyes Open" is a strong contender. This is one of the heavier songs on the EP, with more of a snarl to the vocals including some full on growls backing the chorus at times. The main riff sounds straight out of 90s METALLICA, as do some of the riffs in "In the Name Of" (particularly the opening riff). This one has another very catchy chorus, and I'd say that is CHAOSAINT'S biggest strength. They write really strong hooks, and know how to transition well from verse to bridge to chorus in such a way that the emotion of the chorus explodes with just the right momentum. Something should be said for the lead guitar as well, there are lots of catchy leads and blistering solos that accompany the half-thrash or chugged riffing that underpins it.

Overall, I really like EP. The songs are immediately likeable, and the choruses stick in your head after one or two listens. CHAOSAINT know their strengths and play to them, without wasting time on filler - sometimes I find that chorus-oriented bands can fall into employing too many breakdowns, instrumental interludes or randomly inserted extreme metal elements just for their own sake. "In the Name Of" is very focused music, with not a second wasted on anything that doesn't actually contribute to the strength of the songs. I'd recommend this EP to people that like modern, catchy metal with one foot planted firmly in the old school.