Ooof! That's a good way to start this review as that was my immediate initial reaction to DJINOVA's "Apocalypsis Infinitum" as it started playing. It's ferocious, brutal, guttural and unflinchingly direct! This is a record that means it! Recorded by Neil Hudson of KRYSTHLA, the production is on point with everything a growing death metal band needs: A solid driven bass tone, tight drums that confidently direct proceedings and crystal-clear chainsaw guitars! But who are DJINOVA? I was lucky enough to have seen the Midlands based quintet at Bloodstock Open Air 2019 on the New Blood stage.

Despite this EP being delayed since then due to the pandemic, the four tracks on offer here are simply fantastic and well worth the wait! "A Day In Exile" kicks off as the entire EP means to go on, a sudden sonic attack that eludes to other death metal pioneers such as ABORTED and DECAPITATED. A nice round of quick introductory speed injections before Jamie Barker's vocals come straight to the point in exposing his vocal range. It's pretty much what you expect from a good death metal vocalist and he uses the available timbres of his voice expertly. "Ingest the Gospel" doesn't let up either and introduces some nice breakdown grooves typical of CATTLE DECAPIATION.

Altogether it is a little more subdued than the initial track, but the refreshing moments of leniency is exactly what stops this EP becoming nothing more than a blast fest. It's a welcome change! "Reign Of Apathy" sits at 7 minutes and 40 seconds in length. It carries with it a rage conveyed expertly using a variety of song writing techniques, meter changes and styles drawn on from a variety of death metal bands. While such a long song could be risky for an initial outing, DJINOVA get away with it. Only just, mind! There's plenty to keep the interest going and guide the listener on their journey. The EP signs off with "Tale For The Dead" which is a perfect closer and the stand out track here. It is wonderfully eerie in its initial introduction before sludging forward like a tank! It signs off with a triplet riff breakdown that leaves the EP in much the same state that it arrived: Brutal, frantic and hungry for more! The lingering bass note right at the end was an expert if small touch! And that really is the nuance you can expect of such a tight band.

This is certainly one of the best EPs I have heard from almost any band in recent years. If you are a fan of technical death metal and can't quite stand that screamo-core stuff, then this EP is definitely one for your shortlist. Despite the genre and range of influences, nothing feels too much like it's been done before millions of times. The only minor failing I could put to the EP is I felt the kick drum a little bass heavy at times which made me wonder if there had been too much reliance on samples to back it up. This does nothing to prevent the listener from enjoying a well-produced, well written and well delivered EP! All I can say is, I need to hear more from DJINOVA! For an independent band at this level, there is always the trade-off between recording more songs vs perfecting less songs for any given budget. They have certainly made the right decision as they have really pulled it off in style. These guys should be proud with what they have produced and I do hope they will be gracing a stage near me soon!