Eternal Frostbite - 2022 - This Means War

(22:56; Eternal Frostbite)

Track list:
1. Intro 0:42
2. The Rage I Keep 5:35
3. Decimate 4:07
4. The Walking Wounded 2:34
5. Save Me 3:18
6. Crossing the Line 3:10
7. This Means War 3:30

Line-up:
Kaye Emm - vocals
Michael - vocals
Ondre.B - drums, guitars, bass, backing vocals


Australian band Eternal Frostbite is a fairly new player in the music scene down under, and appears to have been in some form or other of activity since 2021. In the summer of 2022 they self released their debut EP "This Means War".

The main defining aspect of this production is that it is a primal one. This is an artist still in development, without the more sophisticated traits one can expect from more established and developed artists. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a fact that will have some impact on listener interest nonetheless.

A variety of thrash metal is the most recurring trait in terms of style, with surprisingly playful but also primal sounding guitar riffs dominating the cuts on this production. While the songs do come across as fairly basic on many levels, there is a vibrant energy present too, presumably fueled by enthusiasm, which does elevate the listener experience. Otherwise we get a small handful of songs with creative and expressive use of the vocals as an atmospheric effect, a striking feature I'm surprised to not have encountered in a similar manner among more established artists over the years. On this album and in this setting the use of these effects adds a most intriguing dimension to the proceedings.

There's also a ballad present, with acoustic folk-tinged sections alternating with slower, more doom-laden metal sections, which is an interesting combination. Especially with the clean and controlled female lead vocals used on this creation. Apart from this we get one song with a bit more of an industrial metal undercurrent, and regular inclusions of elements either existing inside of or inspired by various forms of extreme metal, some more beneficial to the landscapes explored than others. In some cases it strikes me that it is the more primal general nature of this album that makes some of these style details function, for others it may be more of a case of a creative vision perhaps not executed with the skill set required to be able to exactly realize what the original vision was.

From my perspective this is a band still in development, with some strong points that can be developed further and some weak points that possibly should be dropped or replaced by something a bit more substantial. For those with a general interest in a more primal variety of metal with trash metal as the arguable main style and with something of an ongoing undercurrent of extreme metal, there are some interesting moments to be uncovered on this EP.

Olav M. Björnsen, February 2023

Links:
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