Scour - Red EP review

                Band: Scour
                Genre: Black metal
                Album: Red
                Release Date: November 3rd 2017.
                Record Label: Housecore Records

          Oh boy!  There's plenty of allstar metal bands around and without exaggeration, 80% of them suck big-time. But that ain't the case with Scour! Scour is a band whose line up consists of the almighty Phil Anselmo (who needs no introduction to begin with),  John Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) on the bass,  DerekEngemann(Cattle Decapitation) and Chase Fraser (ex-Decrepit Birth,  Cornflux) on the guitar and Adam Jarvison the drums (Misery Index, Pig Destroyer). With a strong lineup such as this one in the studio, one might think that the boys might start apocalypse of some sorts.

          Their latest 15 minute long EP  Redis one of the releases every metalhead should check out.  The self-titled track announces some uncompromising black metal from its very beginning.  It starts with a catchy black metal riff bridged with a bit of grindcore elements. The biggest surprise to some may be Phil Anselmo's vocals. It seems as if he got out of  his own skin and became 100 feet tall monster.  With every second, his voice transforms into something different. Pilesis a more rancid tune with very profound use of dual guitars. The opening riff, combined with some extreme drumming is one of the  finest moments on this release. Its raw riff is accompanied with an awesome guitar melody that gives this song a dose of beauty. And Phil definitely sounds like a black metal singer in this one, hands down.Bleak starts with Phil's  raspy  scream  accompanied with a   very profound atmospheric part  which irresistably reminds of Cattle Decapitation. Punky riffs that follows will make the moshers happy for sure  (oh wait, no mosh, no core,  no trends, no fun)!   Barricades is raw-as-fuck black metal song that will displace your inner organs a bit. This is also the shortest track on Red EPwhich incorporates a sweet melodic part after the pure black metal aggression coming out from all fronts. Sentencedis creepy sounding instrumental. A perfect soundtrack for Christian underground catacombs! It kinda sounds  like it is a part of some cult Vincent Price  horror movie. As the tension mounts, the EP is coming to an end. The last track, Shankcombines the elements of everything mentioned above.  Dreamy, ambiental guitar part, nasty & simple guitar riffs, savage drumming and Phil's never-ending vocal changes. But one of the most brutal moments on this record is a merciless, chugging breakdown that leads the song to its very end.

          Scour's Red is by far, one of the most intriguing releases of 2017. The overall lenght of the songs is pretty short, averaging on 2 and a half minutes.  Production-wise, you'll like this record if you dig Cattle Decapitation's sound.  But who cares about production, anyways, we are talking about a black metal band! Without a doubt,  Phil's vocals are an integral part of this band.His vocal capabilities were fully expressed  on this record.  He really is a man of a thousand voices who, from time to time, morphs into something different  within seconds.  It really sounds like as if he is changing his physical state!Speaking of music, the only down side of this release is lenght. You'll get through these songs in no time!  If you don’t like this band, I have a message for you: Walk on Home, Boy!

Rating: 8/10