February 28, 2013 | , | 3.5

The Resistance, Rise From Treason

The Resistance: Rise From Treason

So, if you were to hazard a guess as to what an EP containing material from the likes of founding and former members of In Flames, The Haunted and Repugnant would sound like, you’d probably assume that it would be lean heavily towards melodic Swedish death metal (the Gothenburg sound if you will). And you’d be right, but only partially. This brief, four track EP is full of surprises.

Back in action for the first time in a while, Jesper Strömblad (founding guitarist of In Flames) brings along guitarist Glenn Ljungström (also formerly of In Flames), vocalist Marco Aro (ex-The Haunted) and Chris Barkensjö on drums for what the legendary axeman describes as “…some good violent fun!” And man, Rise From Treason is definitely a solid mixture of both.

“My Fire” opens up the EP with a heavy metallic hardcore influence as the guys bludgeon their way through meety riffs and one hell of a back-alley beatdown rhythm. After a slow start, the foursome erupts with burly guitars and Aro’s vicious barks. It’s not at all what I had expected upon receiving this promo. “Face to Face,” however, is exactly what I was expecting… well, almost. The second song on this short teaser EP is vintage Strömblad and sounds just like and better than anything In Flames has done in recent years. It’s a catchy track that is beefy, infectious and just plain awesome as fuck.

The title track isn’t quite as catchy as its predecessor, but what it lacks in groove and melody, it more than makes up with sheer ferocity. This track is confrontational and in-your-face with a galloping rhythm peppered with rabid blasts and a group shout along that will have the pit in a frenzy when performed live. I foresee this one showing up often on the ipod while at the gym. When compared to the two previous tracks (and even the solid opener), “Slugger” gets lost to the wayside. That’s not to say it’s not a good song. It’s pretty good, but it just doesn’t compare to the rest of the EP.

And with that, this four track teaser is enough to get you amped and not enough to fully satisfy — exactly what an EP is meant to do. I cannot fucking wait for this band’s debut full-length to hit the streets. If it’s anything like what we’ve heard hear, it’s going to slay many a metal fan.