Review: “Bringing Your Hell” EP by xServitudex

xServitudex. Their line-up is scattered across England and Scotland with one thing very much in common. Vegan Straight Edge Metallic Hardcore against the World. There is not a single tune that reaches the 3 minute mark on “Bringing Your Hell” and having witnessed their firebrand live show, the tracks will be played at least 20% faster when they reach that point. Their debut EP “Path to Amnesty” was 12 minutes and 47 seconds. These 5 new tracks span 12 minutes and 27 seconds. It’s short, it’s fast and it’s coming for your neck! Straight out of the gate “L’Enfer” (or “Hell”) gets things started like a punch in the face from a prize fighter. The vocals are vicious, the guitars bring a dark menace with crossover Thrash overtones and the kit work is pummelling. Everything is tilted to the maximum setting and delivered with painstaking precision and blistering speed.

“Wicked City” continues the vibe at pace with some skull crushing riffage and more brutal vocals. The song does include a tasteful drop to a spoken word line before it’s rise once that adds something new. That same element with a hint at post-hardcore influences appears in “Wrathful Forms Emerge” on a couple of occasions and gives the same art-Metal sense that the likes of “Punishment” by Biohazard captured. It doesn’t stop the face melting riffage or throat shredding vocals though. Instead, it adds a dark and sinister tone and the fans at shows will have to break from their Mosh Pit antics in order to scream those passages. “Dark Nation” is a savage cut has some caustic backing vocals and socially aware lyrics, while the lead guitar work adds more cuts than a butchers knife. Which is ironic, considering they’re vegan. “2002” brings things to a skull crushing closing with the screams of “Vegan Straight Edge!” repeated over and over around swirling riffage and pounding kit work.

Mixed by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Recording and Mastered by Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust fame, the EP as a clear sonic improvement over the bands debut while maintaining the integrity of its core. “Bringing Your Hell” maybe the bands second EP but these are seasoned professionals and it shows! The experience gained from playing everywhere and anywhere with mains electricity has served them well. [8/10]

“Bringing Your Hell” by xServitudex is out now and available over at bandcamp.