Brutal Technical Death Metal outfit SEROCS is back with their recently released EP! After 4 full-length albums, "Vore" is their fifth release as a full-time band and it does not only come with 5 new songs, it also contains 2 demos as a special treat. For those not familiar with the band, SEROCS is a compilation of musicians from Mexico, Canada, and the United States with Antonio Freyre being the mastermind of the band. The music on "Vore" was predominantly written by Freyre and Antoine Daigneault with lyrics done by Laurent Bellemare. Musically, "Vore" represents Brutal Technical Death Metal at its finest often mixing up the fine lines between a more technical and a more brutal sound.

The first track "Anthropic" starts a journey of high speed, brutal growls, highly comprehensive bass lines and guitar riffs and with Kévin Paradis on drums celebrating double-bass and blast beats throughout the song. Technicality is at a very high level which makes it a joy to listen to. It may be worth to listen to the 2011 demo version straight away to see how far SEROCS has developed since then. "Building A Shrine Upon Vanishing Sands" continues that journey though different in structure with a couple of melodic guitar solos that you would expect from melodeath bands like ARCH ENEMY. Laurent Bellemare is here at his very growling best while all other band members keep up their levels of brutality, speed, and intensity. I especially like the guitar solo sequences, especially since it does not interrupt the overall structure of that song. The third song "Shallow Vaults" is a well-deserved 82 seconds acoustic break that perfectly fits into the concept of the EP. "The Temple Of Knowledge" is slower in tempo, but not less in brutality with brilliant mid-tempo guitars. Again, the drum sequences are outstanding throughout and Laurent Bellemare nicely mixes up his growls with a few screams perfectly suited to the song. With almost 5 minutes, it is the longest song of "Vore". SEROCS recently released the video to "The Temple Of Knowledge," see the link below to check it out. "To Self Devour" is the last one of the 5 new tracks and personally my favorite on "Vore". Starting with a catchy guitar riff that continues throughout, the song erupts with brutal blast beats and double-bass drums as well as awesome growls and screams. A fitting end to the 5 new songs of the EP.

There are 2 demos included that are updated versions of SEROCS back catalogue. Both represent rather the Technical Death Metal sound of the early stages of the band. "Vore" is an excellent EP that has everything for fans of that genre: brutal growls and screams, a wide range of technically high-level guitar riffs and solos, fine bass lines, and relentless, hammering drums. All four musicians play the songs with high intensity and you notice that they are all on top of their performances. Since "Vore" was a follow-up on their highly acclaimed full album "The Phobos /Deimos Suite" from 2018, I was initially skeptical, that they could keep that standard, but SEROCS have proven that they can raise the bar. I believe, once you listened to "Vore", you will look forward to a new full length album from them.