EMPIRICAL have just released their debut EP, the aptly titled "Of Anger And Tranquility", after constant lineup changes over the past two-years, the Philippines based quintet are finally settling down and so they have unleashed four-tracks of melodic death metal. A debut EP can always come across as an audition, twenty-minutes and only four tracks to prove a bands worth, here they show a glimpse of the direction they will take but the compass does not show a clear path as yet however, they do have a talent for composing and performing very likeable music.

It soon becomes obvious that each member of EMPIRICAL has a different musical influence and perhaps a different approach even to a song, combining those individual tastes and projecting them into a framework such as trash or death metal can have both interesting and mixed results, here, luckily it is on the side of interesting. "Path of Subsistence" kicks the set off, a new-wave 80s affair with an explosive drum pattern until it switches direction into the depths of death, the growls of Kal-El Dela Cruz work well, summoning an evil from the song which translates well, it is a collision of two genres of metal which leads to unexpected sounds blistering through.

"Unleash Dementia" is a more straightforward affair of pure death, more restrained and perhaps an insight into the bands actual sound, melodic, slow guitar soloing against a wall of aggression does enough to keep the listener hooked. In "Disenthrall" the introduction is a fantastic piece of music, the thrash comes into it on-top of a snarling vocal line, a call and response effect is used to hammer home the themes of the track whereas "Break the Chains of Servitude" is straight out of the IRON MAIDEN playbook, at times the vocal switching styles adds to the drama of the track, but it still remains menacing nonetheless.

What EMPIRICAL has done is cross a threshold of styles, appealing to fans of both tastes, here it has come across very appealing and the EP for a debut is not bad by any means, how it will work across a full album has yet to be seen but, "Of Anger And Tranquility" is a great first effort by a band in their infancy.