Incised is an up-and-coming metal band from Sweden who released their debut EP Descending Winters last year. Playing a great blend of powerful metal, it’s an extremely strong release that shows the band are destined for great things.
The Architect
Not wanting to hang around, the song begins with some powerful vocals that instantly grab your attention. Sometimes opening a release so abruptly can feel a little overwhelming and almost like you’ve walked in on the release halfway through, but it works well on this one because it gives the impression the band have come out firing on all cylinders. It’s just an interesting song – especially the guitar section in the middle – and works incredibly well as an opener because it draws the listener in and keeps them there!
Descending Winters
Probably the most aggressive track on the EP, it begins with a sheer wall of noise and is a tightly-packed ball of energy that doesn’t let up from start to finish. You can tell there’s a lot of emotion behind the vocals on this one in particular and the somewhat chaotic-sounding guitars really bring the noise throughout. The melodic section of repeating riffs in the middle section also add another dimension to the track, giving the listener a slight breather before the heaviness kicks in again. Definitely the strongest track of the album – if you’re going to check out one song from the band, make sure it’s this one.
Nephilim
The guitar lick at the start of this is awesome, but this is an all-round challenging listen. It doesn’t quite have the hooks of the other four tracks and is a little more difficult to get into than the other songs of the EP. It’s not necessarily a bad track, but it doesn’t pack the same sort of punch as the others, which means Descending Winters does dip a tad in the middle.
Beyond The Veil
Things get right back on the track with this number, however. The only song of the EP to feature a longer introduction, it gives the listener a chance to absorb the track a little easier and shows that Incised don’t stick to the same format for every song – which can only be a good thing! One of the best points was the slower section that led into an energetic section; the juxtaposition of two completely different styles really worked in this track’s favour.
Dreams Of The Tombworld
A seven and a half minute epic, this is the perfect choice to round up the EP with. It explores so many different ideas as it progresses and the track as a whole has a wonderfully thick and gorgeous tone to it, especially in the instrumental sections. The guitar-work throughout is absolutely phenomenal and plays on the band’s strengths as a whole, with the bass and drums complementing it well. The abrupt ending is also a great touch, with the EP ending as it started so it feels like you’ve come full circle – and what better excuse than to go back to the start and listen to it again?
This really is a great EP and it’ll be interesting to see where this band goes next, because they’re really onto a winner with this one.
8/10
You can check out Descending Winters on Spotify.
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