28th September 2024

Review: “EP 1” by Pythonic

They say that good things come to those who wait but sometimes the wait can feel more like a weight upon your shoulders. Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns. Formed in 2015, Pythonic hail from Saskatoon in Canada. It took them five long years to take their first shot in anger, a track titled “Negative Thoughts” landing like a sucker punch in 2020. Now, four years on their finally unveil their debut EP, a record created by a line up of Dustin Reiner on lead vocals and bass, Ryan Hunter on lead guitar, Vincent Kohut on rhythm guitar and backing vocals and Jordan Gall drums. Since these five cuts were committed to tape, Gall has exited stage left with brothers Warriner, creating a new rhythm section, Morgan on bass and backing vocals and Jayden on drums…

An old school Death Thrash sound with a raw quality and yet a clean and crisp drum sound is the order of the day as the opening cut with an oxymoron of a title that is “Positive Destruction” rips through the parade like a tornado. The combination of Reiner’s harsh vocals and the drive of the power house rhythm section give the the flavour of early, pre “Burn My Eyes” era Machine Head demos, the spitting, snarling and snearing style very much in Robb Flynn territory. A sublime piece of extended lead from Hunter then adds a bit of Melodic Death Metal influenced flair, something which gives the cut a bit more edge before the crossover Thrash of the Hardcore inspired “Love H8” surfaces. Undeniable Groove Metal parts and mid 90’s rhythm guitar tones offer something different, taking us to California with Harley Davidsons, bandanas and bands like Biohazard as a tale of a violent love hate relationship plays out in style. As the title suggests “Pills” then dives into the struggles of addiction and the societal pressures that come with it. The band describe the track as the oldest of this collection but without that insight you’d never know. Reiner’s razor sharp lyrical narrative delivers a poignant message while the band play with well worked tempo shifts, mimicing the brain on opioids. Once again the leads shine, bolstering the solid rhythm drive like seasoning enhancing your favourite dish. The nostalgic charm of this record is part of its appeal with the dark and sinister menace of “Practise What You Preach” a mid tempo addiction with an earworm riff. Arguably Reiner’s finest vocal performance, his pissed off energy suggests this one is a little more personal than some of the others. A fist in the air in the land of hypocrisy, “Epica” is a cry for freedom from a system which bleeds us dry. Harsh almost spoken word passages flow into fist pumping gang chants of “March!” that you can’t help joining in with, even on the first spin and the sing-a-long ability is going to go down a storm live. A solid record that bodes very well for a bright future, we can’t wait to see what they do next… [7/10]

Track Listing