Since I found out about the term Alternative Metal nearly fifteen years ago, I must say that I haven't quite caught nor liked the concept of the entire thing. Well I knew FAITH NO MORE as they were the next thing between Metal and Hard Rock but in their modern forms so the large majority of the people would accept the music. However, over the years I learned that sometimes there maybe cases where the mixture of Alternative elements, and not as dominant controlling attributes, might provide a Metal piece a little bit of multiformity and uneven grounds. I am not referring only to the insertion of Hardcore to Metal if that is what you are assuming right now, but I also think about a weird type of FAITH NO MORE with a semi-tech Death Metal. Either you got it or not, the young Swedish SIPHON THE MAMMON, that has been doing something similar, was the band next on my menu to chew on.

"Ruins" is the band's debut independent EP and it consists of four tracks that are mere attempts to showcase their diverse face to the world. Generally, I wouldn't declare them as genuine nor unique in their style but these guys created something intelligent, somewhat melodic (something that their country in extreme music knows well how to produce even today in the "Core" days of our lives), groovy & heavy with a cool modern mix of Metal & Rock subgenres under a hefty sound production that didn't fail them. The large part of the release issued a nice kind of flow with raised fists and punching flows.

I noticed hints of cool modern Thrash and DEATH's assortments on "Desolation" and "The God Refuge" but the latter also surprised me with a simple yet pleasurable melodic C part in its middle. Following this track, and the others, I have to say that though LG, the vocalist, sounded pretty common for an average everyday Death Metal frontman, he is great. "Stab Wounds", in comparison to the former, has a much heavier modernized edge while sounding like deathly Nu Metal. While moving forward, it kind of goes on and on in a similar fashion, however, it didn't abandon the melodies that even reminded me some of the older Swedish stuff. "Vermin" showed me the peak constructive nature of SIPHON THE MAMMON, this is the most assorted track of the entire release. It shares both modern and slight old school endorsements, great shifts between time signatures while not letting off its structure.

Closing this review down, I can sum that SIPHON THE MAMMON are on the right track to create something bright in Death Metal. The melding with Alternative elements might go well for them.