Metal maniacs, rejoice! I am proud to present to you: ELDER DEVIL; signed via Plastic Skull Records (on cassette) & Sludgelord Records (on CD), hailing from California grounds - performing Hardcore/Grindcore/Black Metal, on their sophomore EP entitled: "Fragments Of Hell" (released July 30th., 2020).  Since formation in 2017 as a two-piece releasing "Graves Among The Roots", moving onto 2019's "The Light Dimmed Eternal", ELDER DEVIL had been lain in dormant for a few years until now - reforming as a four-piece with this new released entitled "Fragments Of Hell" of which I am introduced to. 5 tracks ranging at around 12:50; ELDER DEVIL arrange an intricately designed formula of some heavy-hitting Hardcore/Grindcore/Black Metal amalgamations.

Opening up with this blistering barrage frenzy of static & total rampage, "Motherless Son" unleashes all cylinders with rampantly rompy distortion amongst an amplified calamity in belting clobberings that thunders with snarly scours that surge with slaying grinds in which will wrathfully bludgeon eardrums into a fiercely ferocious meltdown while beating bones down with rapidly swift nimbleness while rumbling with reverberating trembles. Vocalist Stephen yells with throaty raspiness, shouty roars soar with malevolent oppression, while the stampeding malice ramifies with primitively raw and extreme aggression. A compulsive adrenaline in boisterously bouncy hooks fret with pugnacious yet piledriving stability from audible bassist Ryan who thumps his axe with trailblazing flickers, fabricating an immersively intense foundation on punchy but borderline firepower expertise.

"Trapped Animal" engages in vicious tonalities which strikes with visceral tightness, nothing but hasteful hostility steamrolls with monolithic tempos & organic pandemonium, where ruthless savagery manifests with this sulfurous yet sinister mayhem on bombarding but berserking chaos as chugging guitar maelstrom Jacob rifts with towering riffage which rips with tearing crunchiness amongst a dexterously galloping chunk in choppy havoc. Speaking of rambunctious, hammering drummer Peter smacks the set with steely & stompy precision, nothing but frolicking laceration kills it with profusely robust weight... smothering you with striking pursuits on relentlessly bulldozing ferocity. "Black Hole" conjures up more riveting vehemence, supplying vibrantly potent snappiness, blackened atrocities and hefty density. Bashfully elementing a groovy distinction on wildly rushing yet razor-sharp smotherings of systematic grit.

The penultimate thrasher "Bones Under Feet'' throttles your soul with these sturdy thuds on speedy velocity; where drums continuously blows you with swerving acceleration and monstrously meaty devastation in concrete grovels, into a gravitational leap on pounding pummelings which impactfully compels one to break chairs over other chairs in a frantic persistence of persevering pulverization. Overall concluding "Fragments Of Hell" with the smothering overdose of unrelenting onslaught and carnage oblivion within "Loathsome Insect"; I am compelled to say that wow, wasn't expecting an immense amount of sonically seamless wreckage on only a 10 minute recording. ELDER DEVIL delivers an incredible amount of some sludgy, mass produced outbursts that will start your day off totally right. An enjoyably entertaining discovery in which most metal maniacs will surely revel in headbanging brutality, most worthy of spinning & replaying a good handful of times, making me want to keep note of their future releases indefinitely. Do check them out!