They rarely get the same attention as a full album, but an EP can be a handy way for artists to show their potential in a tight span of time. In 2024, the metal scene has already given us an array of top-shelf examples, coming from both emerging acts and veterans alike. Whether released by ambient up-and-comers, progressive death metal idols or anyone in between, these are the best heavy short-players of the year so far.
Alluvial – Death Is But A Door (Nuclear Blast)
On 2021 album Sarcoma, Alluvial leapt from instrumental prog/death to a djenty take on deathcore. January’s Death Is But A Door sharpened the Atlantans’ new sound and tightened their songwriting, condensing four tracks into 17 minutes. The whirring guitars and breakdowns torrented like hellfire, while vocalist Kevin Muller matched that intensity with his barrel-chested growls. Then, the title track ended the EP on a more experimental note, the spacey chords and melodic singing opening new doorways for the future.
Escuela Grind – Death Metal (MNRK Heavy)
Escuela Grind continued their series of genre-themed EPs in January with Death Metal. As the title suggests, the songs zeroed in on the chunkier, heavier end of the aggressors’ canon, but still maintained their grindcore brevity. A guest appearance by Napalm Death singer Barney Greenway on Meat Magnet was another star endorsement for the band, who also have the approval of Baroness and Converge. Their momentum will likely steamroll further when full-length album Dreams On Algorithms drops later this year.
Graywave – Dancing In The Dust (Church Road)
Thanks to the Tiktok shoegaze renaissance, Graywave have become sensations without as much as an album to their name. Third EP Dancing In The Dust declared that, despite the Brits’ relative inexperience, their songwriting was stunningly mature. Its central theme of partying in the face of disaster was perfectly communicated, each downtrodden song somehow having an addictive singalong at its heart. Standout Blur Into One already has upwards of 500,000 Spotify streams, and this quartet will likely achieve so much more in the coming years.
Rivers Of Nihil – Criminals (Metal Blade)
Criminals showed a new side of Rivers Of Nihil. With their lauded concept albums Where Owls Know My Name (2018) and The Work (2021), the Pennsylvanians became kings of sprawling prog/death metal. On this EP, they cut the fat, pummelling with 13 minutes of intricate brutality. The songs also marked the singing debut of bassist Adam Biggs, who replaced ex-frontman Jake Dieffenbach and neatly matches his bowel-shakingly low roars. Rivers Of Nihil have entered a new era – and it’s incredibly promising.
Sylvaine – Eg Er Framand (Season Of Mist)
Normally, Sylvaine is a post-metal/shoegaze singer-songwriter, her music frequently crossing the border between snarling catharsis and delicate melody. On Eg Er Framand, though, she pursued a far more shamanic tone. The project evoked the likes of Eivør and Myrkur as Sylvaine unloaded long, delicate, quasi-Norse vocal melodies with sparse instrumentation underneath. It was a new, logical and beautiful side to the musician: one that, with any luck, we’ll get to hear more of as her career continues.
Unearth – Bask In The Blood Of Our Demons (Century Media)
Though they never reached the heights of New Wave Of American Heavy Metal scenemates Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage, Unearth have been churning out exhilarating extremity for 25 years. The Bostonians surprise-released Bask In The Blood… in July and again proved their craft. New tracks Sea Of The Lost and Warrior Souls were fast-paced, breakdown-heavy masterclasses, whereas live versions of The Wretched; The Ruinous and Dawn Of The Militant proved the band’s live prowess. The underdogs continue to bark with ferocity.
Unpeople – Unpeople (Sharptone)
With their ranks including two former Press To Meco members, Unpeople are new prospects in UK metal that already have one hell of a songwriting pedigree. The quartet’s self-titled EP, released in April, proved that. Each of its five tracks were groovy, melodic powerhouses: despite pulling from pastures as disparate as pop-punk, nu metal and post-hardcore, the top-notch hooks and gang vocals kept them all tethered together. The band are playing prestigious festivals this year, including 2000 Trees and Arctangent, and deservedly so.
Vower – Apricity (self-release)
Black Peaks, Palm Reader and Toska were all magnificent acts in the British underground who broke up far too soon. The silver lining of those splits, though, is that members of them united as Vower. The alt-metal newcomers released debut EP Apricity in July and fused the greatest elements of their original bands, making for a soulful and catchy yet technical collection. An album is needed ASAP and, given the five-piece are already playing unshared material onstage, it may arrive sooner rather than later…
