Bit of an interesting listen with this self titled 7″ EP from Sick/Tired. This Illinois quartet came back after their good, but sonically lacking full length, “Highlife” (to be fair, it was an unmastered recording), with a slew of new splits and EP’s. For me, I instantly knew that the band was more enjoyable to listen too when the recordings were handled by the right people. This EP sounds rough, raw, and intense. The bass guitar is right up front, giving the riffs this thick, rock tumbling crunch. The drums are incredibly punchy and the vocals have a visceral, but controlled delivery. So, sound wise, this EP is on point, I wouldn’t fix anything about it. The song’s themselves show that this band has a lot of varying influences, and they’re not afraid to show them all off. The first 3 songs blow by in the blink of an eye, blasting away with pure, raw, grind fury, while managing to throw in some attention grabbing riffs and grooves (“Collapsed Lungs”, “Us Vs. Them”). As is with most modern grind/powerviolence bands, a slower/mid-tempo song is included right in the middle of everything, leading into the 2nd half which is where things briefly get a little weird with the song, “Seance”. Up-beat, almost melodic metallic triplet riffs are utilized, making it sound like a grind version of an 80’s NWOBHM song. It sticks out like a sore thumb, kinda breaking the intense, heavy vibe that the band had going with the songs prior. I almost wonder if it’s a cover. The grind kicks back in with the almost non-stop blasting final track, “Busted Outlook”, with some hardcore chug chug riffs are thrown in for good measure. Small gripes aside, this is a pretty excellent EP. It definitely made me want to pick up all of this bands other releases. Check it out for yourself!
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