Heavy grooves and slamming tunes await listeners on the debut release by Minnesota-based mosh merchants KOBALOI. The group's first EP for Zero Budget Records, "Crossing Akheron" ticks of numerous boxes in creating an entertaining, if not groundbreaking, Heavy Metal stew.

There's a real sense of urgency that isn't totally embodied by the EP's artwork, with Josh Mohr's ferocious roars putting the energy over the edge on opening salvo "Eternal Heartache," which almost seems like a misnomer given how driving and aggressive it is, compared to what one might expect. The low tuning gives the band that ideal, dirty sound, but the band have more working for them than simply loosened strings. There's nothing fake about the attitude KOBALOI bring, though it's not too abrasive, generally speaking, to deter fans from a generation where, say, "Bonded By Blood" was considered vicious.

Where the first song has a feeling of a band charging headlong through the infernal wastes, "In The Blood" writhes and agonizes with just as much venom, much slower but still plenty crushing. There's this cool break around the 2:48 mark that stands out as one of a number of slightly off-beat ways the band goes around conventional songwriting structure. No, they're not playing in 7/6 time or anything, but there's no obligatory anything in here, and they don't just settle on a good riff or two and call it a day. The aforementioned track isn't super complex, but KOBALOI do a great job permeating the atmosphere with legitimate grimness and panic.

The band closes things out with the vicious "Inhume," combining old school-style Thrash with simply inhuman menace. Mohr employs some gnarly death growls as well as his established hardcore-style shouts, and the rest of the band simply pummel the listener with their hellish instrumental attack. Three songs into their career, KOBALOI sound like they already understand what separates memorable bands from bands who simply play a style of music. Hopefully, they can continue to build on their solid foundation of old-school and modern sensibilities with even more creative work in the future. Fans of aggressive, thrashy, and just all around dark and heavy music should check "Crossing Akheron" out.Overall: 7/10