Colombian Necktie - s/t CDEP

I did a review for LA-based band Colombian Necktie last year, whose demo ruled. They've had some bad luck with getting some releases out since the demo I reviewed, just a split tape with Pariah managed to come together, but that one had the demo songs on it, no new material. The material CN recorded for the records that never panned out, 5 songs in total, are now put out by Reckless Minds Collective on a CDEP, with the 3 demo songs added as a bonus.

They stuck to their mix of harsh hardcore/metal, with rough and bitter-sounding vocals, which I certainly don't mind. The band has added more dynamics and subtlety to the songs tho by utilizing some quieter parts here and there, and overall it's clear the band has evolved as musicians as well as song-writers. The 4 tracks on here are awesome, and the band has definitely stepped it up a notch. I say 4, even though there are 5 tracks on here. That is cuz the 4th track on here, 'Lirit', is an instrumental track which feels out of place to me. It's mostly piano and sounds too uplifting to me to really fit in with the negative and aggressive atmosphere of the other tracks. However, it also shows this band doesn't mind straying from the beaten path. My favorite track on here is the 2nd one, 'Larvae', which starts off with a quiet and melodic intro before building up into a mammoth of a track. It's really heavy but also has an intricate song-structure and subtle leads and build-ups which emphasize the potential & progression of this band. But in no way does that mean the other tracks aren't memorable, cuz they are. This EP is pretty damn solid and the clearer production, which doesn't take away from the heaviness of the songs at all, adds to the aggressiveness of the sound while showing that the band can play and is more subtle than one might expect. All in all, an awesome follow-up to the demo, and it's great to see this band evolving.

You can check out the new tracks on the bands bandcamp page, but if you like what you hear, don't hesitate to (pre-)order it at the Reckless Minds webstore. Future plans include a split release with Ruined Tongues on Reckless Minds and a 7" on Irish Voodoo Records.