Goregast, Covered in Skin

I like two-track EPs like Goregast’s Covered in Skin. Releases like this serve one role and one role only — to whet your appetite for the next proper album. There’s nothing fancy about this short release. it’s got two tracks, each weighing in at roughly five and a half minutes. And both songs are full of groove-fueled death metal performed impeccably.

Before we get into the music on the title track, let’s look at the title, “Covered in Skin.” I don’t know about you all, but when I look in the mirror, I can’t help but notice that I have this fleshy material covering my insides. I mean, it ain’t the prettiest thing upon which to gaze (especially on those mornings where a hangover may be the soup de jour), but technically, aren’t we all covered in skin? At any rate, the song is pretty goddamned good. Beefy riffage, stellar drum work and viscous, gurgling growls combine for some seriously solid death metal.

There’s a mix of both American-bred and Swedish death metal at work in both halves of this EP that carry infectious grooves and solid lead workout throughout. “Mindcreeper” exemplifies this from start to finish. The track is darker and focuses more on the galloping rhythm, but still packs in a good amount of technicality in the drum work and riff shifts. There’s a decidedly more amped up melodic element to the song that the first didn’t incorporate.

The combination of these two songs, which are both unique in their own right and yet still cohesive, makes for an easy listing EP. Covered in Skin isn’t revolutionary or any of that garbage. It’s just the band showcasing the direction that they’re heading in future releases and I completely dig the hell out of it.