LUCIFERICON has returned after a four-year gap with their latest EP, "Brimstone Altar". While only three songs long, this collection of occult-themed death metal attacks with ferocity.

Opening track "Brimstone Altar" jumps straight into the fray with a fast pace, and vocals which remind me of DARK FORTRESS circa "Ylem". Rob Reijnders's vocals had a touch of black metal about them, while still maintaining a distinctive death metal sound. The reverb on the vocals adds atmosphere without being gimmicky. The guitar riffs are engaging, and got my head nodding. The solo is a storm of notes/chords, with some great string bends. New drummer Tim Verheijden adds some good blasting to the proceedings, and Reijnders does a good job on the bass in addition to vocals.

"The Jaws of Time" keeps the fast pace going. The track then transitions into a mid-tempo pace, with some alt-picking. Verheijden shows off his finesse at a slower pace on this track. Jagged, swirling tremolo picking brings things back to a faster pace again. The length of each track works well, since it allows time for the occult atmosphere to permeate the music. A swampy, hazy tone, reminiscent of early death metal, works perfectly.

"Witch of the Cosmic Grave" is the slowest and heaviest track on the album, and brings a doom metal vibe. The slow, ominous riffs are punctuated with tom rolls and cymbal flourishes, which breaks up the heavy tones. A guitar slide welcomes the second part of the song, with an echoing bend following. Harmonised rhythm riffs give a solid base for a dynamic solo filled with some cool slides. The clean riffs in this section add an interesting contrast to the heavier, distorted riffs from earlier. A countermelody of a clean riff also adds interest to the heavier riff playing below it. The production allows these parts to weave around each other without sacrificing an organic, old school feel. The slow bass drum motif is joined by some polyrhythms towards the end of the track, which adds texture to the rhythm section.

Brevity is a downside of this EP, since there's a lot of good stuff going on. I look forward to seeing what LUCIFERICON does with a full-length album.