It's hard not to respect the guys in HATEUR for their willingness to push the envelope, as far as the definition of heavy music goes. Hailing from the Philippines, the four-piece band push the limits of slow, heavy music with their newest release, the "Body & Soil" EP.

There's no mistaking the primal, shaking tremors of the first couple minutes of "Reptilian Blues" as anything other than the embodiment of Doom, riffs tumbling over each other in the heavy muck, but they take a sharp turn by going channeling their inner GIGAN before slowing to a deathly crawl. It's a strange mix, to be sure, but it's still easier to pin down than the opening title track. Spacy post rock melts into kaleidoscopic psychedelia as the listener drifts in and out of the song's dense, layered guitar walls and into a mellow easiness.

The song's daydream ambiance belies its challenging edge, and the song as a whole feels more big and grand as a whole than the sum of its parts. There is a lot going on in terms of textures, rhythms and melodies, which is easy to forget in the song's shimmering simplicity; a credit to the band's songwriting strength. "Koleoptera," the E.P.'s final offering, sees the band's sludgy bones laid out to bare, writhing and lurching in perpetual dirtiness. The harsh, muffled vocals give the song a sinister, earthy vibe, as the band's musical bludgeoning rolls on.

While it may generally serve a more discerning listener, "Body & Soil" is an inventive, powerful, and dynamic piece of music. The band has mentioned the EP as a teaser for their newest LP, due to come out in the near future. If any of the material here is proof, listeners should be in for a treat. I'd definitely recommend this to fans who can appreciate Heavy, forward-thinking Doom/Sludge.