On August 20, 2020, SENSORY AMUSIA released "Bereavement." This is their second EP after their 2019 EP "In Extremis." Their first and only (for now) full-length release was "Disrepair" from back in 2013. SENSORY AMUSIA is from Australia and describes their sound as technical death/grind. Regardless of what genre it is, the EP is brutal and chaotic.

SENSORY AMUSIA is noticeably influenced by bands like GOJIRA and MESHUGGAH, but doesn't rely entirely on djent riffs like other musicians influenced by the djent progenitors. The low and chuggy riffs offer a constant groove on each track that makes the music easy to headbang to. Aside from djent, there are elements of technical death metal, grindcore, deathcore, and brutal death metal. The pacing is overwhelmingly fast, due in part to the drums recorded by Kevin Paradis of BENIGHTED, though there are slower parts that bring on a bludgeoning heaviness. The massive sound is pretty much constant, though production, mixing, and technical elements give each track a unique character.

There is no space for filler intros on an EP in my opinion, so I'm glad "Intro" kicks off the album as a short, but high energy, instrumental. The next track "Death" features Cain Cressall from THE AMENTA. The brutal dual vocals are joined by a rapid battering of the riffs and the drums. "Beast" also has a guest spot and features the vocals of Jared Bridgeman from EARTH ROT. Quick, sharp guitar licks add to the complex drumming and downtuned growl of the guitars. For me, "Pain" shows the band's ability to play extreme and discordant riffs. A moment that stood out to me on this track was the section highlighting the bass guitar at around a minute and a half. "Absolute" ends the album with a blizzard of blast beats and heavy riffs.

Overall, I would recommend SENSORY AMUSIA's "Bereavement" to fans of deathgrind like ABORTED and CATTLE DECAPITATION. Their sound is incredibly heavy and intense, but with plenty of heavy grooves. Though the EP is short, there are still plenty of good ideas. I look forward to hearing a full-length album from these guys!