Based out of Los Angeles, California and formed in 2016, DRAGHKAR will be releasing their E.P. "The Endless Howling Abyss" via Craneo Negro Records. The main theme to the E.P. is the apocalyptic end of the world. Featuring 2 teaser tracks on the bands Bandcamp page, the full E.P. will see the light of day on July 27th, 2018. DRAGHKAR will appeal to those who are fans of the Finnish Death Metal sound similar to that of DISMEMBER. "Swallowed by the Dark" has a gritty sludgy tone and a thrash metal tempo. The verse descends in pitch and is accompanied by deep throaty growls. If slowed down the melody would be something you'd expect to find on an early AMORPHIS album.

Begining with a SLAYER-style riff, "Eternal Disintegration", heats up with busy fretwork and shows some more dynamic drumming rather than speed or thrash hits. The fills are executed perfectly in time with a scaling guitar line that demonstrates similar skill heard on MEGADETH's "Holy Wars." "Fading into Emptiness" has an insane guitar riff that is backed by a jazz-influenced bass line. Always a gutsy move in extreme metal, but when executed properly can display not only a regard and respect for musical structure, it can also add a dark and eerie feel. Offering more of a thrash/speed metal feel rather than blat beats DRAGHKAR has made a raw and pit friendly E.P. that is relentless from start to finish. Despite their overall tonal sound being monotonous that is easily overshadowed by the technical riffs and transitions. The song structure is very busy, fast, and never a dull moment.

The audio production does a great job of bringing together old-school grit and modern clarity. Sounding great on the PC speakers and pretty decent in the car with some minor adjustments. While nothing jumped out at me and screamed, "this is amazing", DRAGHKAR shows some real skill and fills 20 minutes with some decent listening. The pairing of death metal and thrash makes brutality not the focal point, rather showcasing fast scaling riffs and a "start a riot" attitude.