ILLUCIA come from Bangalore, and judging by the album cover, play the kind of balls-to-the wall Power/Thrash Metal that spawned in the 80s. The first track of this EP, "Intro", is classic Thrash Metal album opening material; a soft, pretty acoustic prelude, that is very classical sounding, to set up the impending chaos.

It doesn't stay pretty for long, though; "Lucy" assails the ears with cutting riffs and strident rhythms, precisely executed to a fault. The guitar tone they get on this is also very 80s-it's crisp, clean, and loud enough, but not so loud as to drown out the other elements of the music. Which turns out to be a good thing, as those other elements are also praiseworthy. The drumming is the workhorse pulling everything forward, and the at times banshee-like vocals bristle with the exuberance of 80s metal.

The songs are short, but contain multitudes. "Seraph Fiend" is only a second under 3:30, but there is time for riffs on riffs on riffs, and a short but potently-placed solo. The next song, "111", follows a similar pattern. The vocals are a little rough and not as polished as many Power/Thrash vocalists (like the great James Rivera), but they have charm to them. The pedal tone riffing is textbook modern Thrash, but it's a standard device for a reason. Especially with harmonies, they sound really full.

Every instrument gets a role and a chance to show off a little; the intro of "High Priest" is all about drum rolls. Even once the guitar comes in with more of those angular, chugging Power/Thrash riffs, the drums on top maintain their centrality. Also, the best riff on the album is the break at about the 1:45 mark of this song. "High Priest" is especially filled with great riffs, and an impressively melodic solo that relies on long, expressive notes before flowing into speedy runs.

As a reviewer, I think the best thing I can say about an album is that I wish there was more of it; that is certainly the case here. These six (I guess five, since "Intro" barely counts) songs are all excellently written-the riffing is fresh and aggressive, the rhythm section never lacks energy, and the band retains enough melody to remain interesting. As a debut album especially, stellar work. I want them to write more, preferably full-length material, and will be happy to spread the word if and when it happens.