Hailing from Sydney, Australia, are Progressive Thrash metallers PARADIGM. With two full-lengths already under their belt, we have upon us a new EP in their discography, "Chaotic Systems". They cite influences such as KATATONIA, KARNIVOOL and PSYCROPTIC, but after giving this EP a spin (it may be my love for the band in question clouding my judgement) but I am hearing a lot of the Thrash-fed Groove sound of INVOCATOR in there. I chose to approach this EP from a fresh standpoint, having never heard either of the band's previous albums; it provides a good indication of the path the music is traveling on. Sufficed to say, I find myself wanting to check out their previous work.

"Solitude" opens the album with a rather desolate setting; a lengthy intro laced with screaming, dormant guitar melodies, and eventually the riffs start dropping like giant hailstones. Strangely multifaceted for a Thrash track, it is clear that this band's background is heavily steeped in Progressive music; while the SLAYER-like riffage is definitely present, the technical, unpredictable fretboard dancing gives it away. If you haven't gathered already, PARADIGM's music tends to favour strong bass presence; the mix is abso-fucking-lutely full of it, and I love it (another reason I harken back to INVOCATOR with rose-tinted glasses). The tone is absolutely fitting; nonetheless, Liam Horgan is both an efficient and creative bassist, and plays a more-than-others important part in their sound. "Chaos Values" punches you in the face with riffs fattened up by that immense bulldozer.

The band's namesake track is probably the most 'mature' sounding track on the EP, and features an evolving, complicated arrangement, with a plethora of different thicknesses, depths, speeds and moods; the clean guitar parts adding some brief moments of wanted clarity and peace. In general, it's a markedly more melodic track, and showcases tremendous guitar work. "Attack" wasn't the aggressive, superfast throwdown I was expecting it to be, but made up for it in sheer heaviness and depth of riff; rich embellishments of incredible, harmonised guitar melodies flesh it out perfectly. "Chains" brings the tempo down a few notches to a dimly-lit atmosphere at a rolling, rocking, chugging pace, throwing hammer blow after hammer blow.

I'm interested. I'm not sure about hook-line-and-sinker, but I'm interested. I can't examine it on the same level I would an album, being an EP, but the music is nothing short of promising, if it is any indication of what is to come, so long as the progressive flair goes above and beyond of being simply an expectation.