I had a really hard time getting into this release. Literally, I couldn’t get the damned CD out of the packaging. Sure, the cardboard envelope that this disc was packed into was nice looking, but the getting to the actually music was a pain in the ass. But if the packaging was annoying, the press release was intriguing. Usually, I glance at the press release and only use it for member names or other information, the meat of it is usually a bunch of bullshit telling us how the band mixes Fugazi and Senses Fail for an unforgettable, genre shattering rockfest. But even with that in mind, I was interested in seeing how this band blended its supposedly wide-ranging influences. The fact is, I’ve never seen Botch, Quicksand, and Black Sabbath mentioned in the same press release.

Believe it or not, this band actually sounds like it has those influences. Escape Grace plays a mix of hardcore, metal, and rock that is surprisingly strong. The band’s rock influence is immediately evident at the beginning of the first song, “Day of the Triffids.” Unlike the packaging, it took me around 30 seconds to get into the actual music. The repetitive, manic riffing of the second track, “Your Yellow Hammer” is a pretty obvious nod to Botch, but the band makes sure not to just play their influences. The songs fit together and the EP flows well, all while each retains it’s own individual identity. Some tracks, like the second song, simply bombard the listener with big riffs, while others build up slowly.

After listening to this, I was already wondering why I hadn’t heard of this band before. The answer soon became fairly obvious; this is Escape Grace’s first release. Fans of heavy, intelligent music are going to want to pick this up. It’s rare that a new band completely impresses me, but this EP does the trick nicely.

MP3: Day of the Triffids