Christian deathcore band IMPENDING DOOM doesn't hold back the heavy in their EP "Hellbent." I'm surprised this review was my first time hearing of this band considering I've been a fan of other Christian deathcore and metalcore bands like OH, SLEEPER, FIT FOR A KING, and numerous others. It just goes to show how much music is out there to discover. The first song "Satanic Panic" wastes no time getting down to the nitty gritty of Christian deathcore that permeates this EP. It's full of gnarly riffs and nasty, intense breakdowns. Brook Reeves has a mean deathcore scream. I like that they have somehow successfully managed to incorporate horror themes into Christian music - what is typically intended to be wholesome music. In "New World Horror" Brooks screams "The devil's work is never done" and "I can see it in your eyes you're already dead." But it's deathcore, indeed.

I was consistently impressed with how beastly each song on the EP sounds and how the band kept everything fresh and new. Each song has elements that make it stand out from other songs on the EP while remaining true to the band's sound. This helps in doing their part to stand out from the plethora of other bands in the genre. I think the standout song for me is the last song "I Must End." It's got everything awesome about deathcore with some notes of nu-metal, and it's just all around a sick song. Deathcore and Christianity may not seem like two things that would go together, but I was not disappointed in how heavy and brutal this EP sounds. My younger self, who was a metalhead hugely involved in my church youth group, would have loved this band. My current self is still pretty impressed. They remind me of listening to stuff like AS I LAY DYING, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, and MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE. They hold their own with the heaviest and best.

The band recently played shows with other heavy Christian bands OH, SLEEPER and WAR OF AGES. They are even due to co-headline Summit Fest in August in Ohio with bands like UNEARTH, DROPOUT KINGZ, HUNT THE DINOSAUR, SIGNS OF THE SWARM, and more. Seriously, how had I not heard of these guys until now? They've been around since 2005, so they've been hidden from my radar somehow for a while at this point. Highschool me would be SO pissed she missed out on this. I guess I've got some catching up to do with their discography.