EKPYROSIS are a band form northern Italy, who only debuted last year with "Asphyxiating Devotion", for which they gained some critical acclaim. Metalheads tend to be more thoughtful people than the average population, so when I hear a Greek or Latin sounding band name I go on Wikipedia to find out what it means, and often times I learn something new. Ekpyrosis, according to Wikipedia, "is a Stoic belief in the periodic destruction of the cosmos by a great conflagration every Great Year. The cosmos is then recreated (palingenesis) only to be destroyed again at the end of the new cycle." If that isn't a dope band name then I don't know what is... Other than having an interesting name they have interesting lyrical themes as well. The lyrics on this new EP "Primordial Chaos Restored" deal with cosmology from an astrophysical viewpoint. That seems to require quite bit more erudition than what it would take to write your average Lovecraftian cosmic horror lyrics.

How about the songs - there are three proper songs, one atmospheric interlude and an INCANTATION cover song - on this EP? First thing to note here is that EKPYROSIS play old school Death Metal and are big fans of INCANTATION and IMMOLATION. They are - as many of these revivalist bands are - unashamedly derivative, you can tell that these guys studied the mannerisms of the bands that inspire them to the smallest quirk, which is fine. The main question is: does it slap? And slap it does. One thing that stands out to me are the contrasts between the slow, Doomy passages and the fast-paced ones. The Doomy parts are really slow and heavy and the fast parts go to the other extreme. The riffing and guitar work is great, there is a number of nice leads and solos throughout the songs. I really like the short and off-kilter yet technical solo on "Conception From Nothingness" that is simply spine chilling. The production suits this record really well. I don't know if they bring anything new to the table by covering "Devoured Death", all I will say about it that it sounds less muddy.

All in all, if you don't feel too overwhelmed by all the old-school Death Metal that has been coming out in the recent years check these guys out. I think that they have potential and that they deserve some love.