Pyrithion, The Burden of Sorrow

I wonder if Tim Labesis of As I Lay Dying fame knew that he was headed toward some legal trouble (google it) when he created this group with Allegaeon guitarist Ryan Glisan and Embodyment drummer Andy Godwin. I mean, any way to make a little scratch on the side for bail money is a good thing, right? At any rate, the three song The Burden of Sorrow certainly starts off strong, but sort of loses it’s impact quickly.

“The Invention of Hatred” has got to be the strongest and most aggressive material on the album. It takes its cues from the likes of Behemoth with a sound that is blasting and quite powerful. Lambesis has done a great job with his vocals on this opening song — it’s deep and full of vigor. There’s some solid musicianship here with steady drum work (punctuated by some sweet pedal work) and a pretty sick lead halfway through. There’s a good groove flowing through here, as well.

“Bleed Out” sees the guys shift their sound a bit away from the Behemoth influence to almost a bit of a modern Red Chord take on death metal. It’s not nearly as technical or as off-kilter as the crazy shit that Kozowyk and crew have produced through the years, but there are similarities here. It’s an okay enough song, but doesn’t quite bring the fury like the EP opener.

The three track release is wrapped up by “Rest in the Arms of Paralyzed Beast.” Here, again, we see another shift from the heavier, more brutal material of the previous two songs to a much more metalcore influenced sound. There’s a good bit more melody injected into the track and Lambesis tones his vocals down a touch. The lead work around the 2:20 mark is damn tight and carries a scorching helping of melody. At least there’s one hell of a bestial breakdown shortly after to get the necks snapping.

When the EP has finished, I can’t help but look back and wonder if the trio here are simply fucking around and trying to decide on what sort of material they want to play. As you listen to The Burden of Sorrow you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in aggression as the songs progress. It makes for a bit of a let down to start out so strongly and then have subsequent material hit with a diminished impact. I know it’s an EP and all, but I can still complain.