Venezuela's NOCTURNAL HOLLOW may not be from the same geographical spot as those titans that rose from Florida's murky depths to bring us the original wave of Death Metal, but they are no less informed by its infernal mechanisms. "Deathless and Fleshless," a five-song EP released this past December, brings listeners a potent dose of the hellish sounds of yesteryear.

"Necromantical Sin" jumps right in with its early DEATH/OBITUARY-influenced assault, thrashing with reckless abandon before focusing the band's rage into a more tight, yet still devious mode before descending back into madness. It's heavy, simple, and effective, as a good opener should be. From there, "Devilish Blood" treads similar territory but without the same incendiary speed, with more of that "Leprosy"-era sound than was heard previously. "The Crypt" is largely the same in this regard.

"As Blood Flows" is where things get a bit more interesting, with its extended, grinding buildup that gives way to a torrent of malevolent riffs and machinegun drumming, a nice change of pace considering the rather even flow of material thus far. "The Incantation of Astaroth" takes this a step further, allowing the listener a moment to breath but little else as its claustrophobic darkness encroaches.

All in all, "Deathless and Fleshless" has some good material, and the overall vibe is cool and sinister in the way that fans of old-school Death Metal are all about. If this were part of a more inclusive release I would probably be more into it, but as is, there's not a ton of variety to make it worth more than a cursory listen or two. Good stuff, but definitely not groundbreaking.