REDSPHERE is relatively unknown within the metal community, mostly due to their obscure homeland of New Caledonia and their recent formation, "Facts", the band's first release of any sort, was just made available on January 6th, 2017. It's undeniable that a Thrash and Death Metal band from the South Pacific is unusual, even with the metal knowledge I've accumulated over the years, I can't name a single one. However, I did a bit of digging and apparently the French Polynesian Islands have a thriving music scene, especially in regards to Death Metal and Grindcore; who would've known? REDSPHERE has toured all over Europe and opened for big names in Death Metal, such as MASTER and DISCREATION. The band itself is a traditional quartet: guitar, drums, bass, and vocals, and although they just released their first album this year, they've somehow amassed about 500 Facebook fans, which is impressive for a little-known French Death Metal act.

The first song, "Mythomaniac", rips its way forward with blast beats, catchy guitar riffs, and Thrash-influenced picking. Bouchet's vocals are similar to Randy Blythe's (LAMB OF GOD), and personally I like the slightly toned-down gutturals here. They're not on the level of CANNIBAL CORPSE, whose growls reach unintelligible depths, but the vocals are just metal enough to make this an energy-filled, yet understandable, track. The pinch harmonics and syncopated rhythms pique the listener's interest, and the intensity presented by the mix of guitar and bass is electrifying. "Burn or Fall" again presents a chugging and captivating rhythm solidified by Robert's thrashing drum beats in the background. The tone of this song is decidedly more aggressive. Bouchet gives the listener an ultimatum: Will they burn, or will they fall? This song also provides a continuity to the sheer power established in the first track, and establishes another brutal blend of blazing guitar riffs and heavy bass.

In "Scratches on the Wall", the track has a decidedly groove-inspired melody. My favorite part of this song was definitely the recurring guitar riff which swung behind the vocals and intertwined flawlessly with Bouchet's vocals. Though some parts of the song, like the breakdown, could have been more musically complex, the riffs were undoubtedly metal and deserve to be head banged to. "Plastic Heart" is definitely bass and drum-heavy. However, I was missing the catchy element I found in the first three songs. The percussion was solid and Robert's talent for playing drums shone through. However, this song sounded very similar to a lot of other Death Metal I've listened to. It reminded me a lot of CARCASS and the like, and I was hoping for the band to bring something new to the table on this one, even though it was technically solid.

In "Sound of Despair," the rhythm once again revolved around the drums and bass. The bass riff was choppy and slightly unearthly at the beginning, and that combined with Bouchet's impressive extended growls made this song nearly technically perfect. The riffs were Thrashy, yet heavy enough to mosh to, and REDSPHERE reintroduced the catchiness which had been such a successful technique at the beginning of the album. My only critique would be that some of their songs can seem a bit repetitive. Though the riffs are great, I was looking for a solo, or longer breakdown, or something to diversify the tracks. The final track "Falling Mirrors," has to be one of my favorites. It definitely has a more traditional Death Metal feel, but the rhythmic changes and steady, technical drumming help to make it unique. My favorite part was around 1:50, where the guitar tone became ringing and eerie, and then when Bouchet's vocals transformed into creepy, almost robotically distorted layers.

Overall, I think that REDSPHERE's accomplishments as a new band from the South Pacific are phenomenal. Their songs are catchy, technically adept, and pretty much prime examples of what Death Metal should be. Yes, they should try to explore their own sound more and focus on introducing new elements so that their tracks don't become repetitive. However, these are minor complaints for the band's first-ever EP release.