Blood and Brutality have unleashed the beast within with their new EP, Wrath Upon. The 3-piece metal monster, guitarist Tim Boykin, bassist Max Rains and Bryan Arant on drums and vocals, formed in 2008, unveil the crushing 6 track EP with intensity and gusto, staying true to their sound but pushing themselves to limits unknown with Wrath Upon. This EP is the result of years of live performances, finally recorded for the first time with one purpose only, blowing your mind with energetic and high-quality metal. Beware! These 6 tracks will pop your eardrums from the get-go.

Starting with Wrath Upon Thee, a short but snare heavy track that sets the tone for the rest of the EP. I must admit that there’s a little Mastodon about the drumming which excites me just a little upon my first listen. How Bryan Arant is able to drum this well and perform vocals at the same time is beyond me. In my mind, that’s pretty fucking cool.

Chaos to Silence continues the carnage with crushing drum execution once again. Fast and tighter than an ant’s ass crack, Blood and Brutality are so far living up to their name. They are brutal. They are incredibly electrifying, and so far, snapping every synapse in my brain. I can only imagine the mosh pit at one of their live shows. Duck and cover metalheads, because bodies will be flying from one side of the room to the other. Utter chaos, as the track title suggests.

March towards Destiny is a haunting 90 second interlude, with more guitar layers than a Leatherwolf song. With a definitive march progression, the aptly named instrumental is perfectly placed to introduce the remaining 3 tracks.

Never Surrender is a song that is more like a personal reminder to leave all the bullshit in your life behind and only look forward. “Forget all the pain” “Never Surrender” are words to live by. Uplifting, there is a strengthening resolve in the few lyrics this tune has. Unwavering and elevating in a way only metal can offer.

Fuck You speaks for itself. Punk in style and less than a minute long, Fuck You means what it says, FUCK YOU! That is all that needs saying about the penultimate song of this EP. FUCK YOU!

The final track on the Wrath Upon EP is Life is Pain. I would say this is the most complete song on the album. Life is Pain rings out as the drums crash and guitars crunch. Slower than the other songs on the EP, the sound is absolutely spot on with a great guitar solo and drum track. The message is clear. Each title explains exactly what to expect from the song and this track is no different. Ending with a soothing piano piece, it is the only scent of serenity on the entire album and a great way to finish Wrath Upon.

All in all, I very much enjoyed Wrath Upon. Although short, it packs a punch so hard that Iron Mike Tyson would be shuddering in the corner. Intense and powerful, this is an EP I would listen to over and over to build up a head of steam or just for shits and giggles. It’s quick, it’s angry and it’s downright dirty. Do yourself a favour and wrap your ears around this EP. Crank it to 10 and don’t look back.

Favourite song: Life is Pain or Wrath Upon Thee. Both are hot and heavy and ready to blow!

I still don’t understand how you can play drums and sing. What a great talent!