9th February 2025

Review: “A New Era Of Violence” by Shoot To Kill

“This EP has been delayed through so many set backs but we are proud that it’s finally out to see the light of the world. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing these songs. There’s been so many Learning experience that’ll only make us stronger and we are so excited for the future of Shoot To Kill” ~ Shoot To Kill

Rabidfest survivors Shoot To Kill have long described their sound as the merging of unapologetic Hardcore and authentic 90’s no nonsense Metalcore riffs and now have a wealth of material to support the theory. Their first commitment to tape came in 2020 with “Plague“, a track that surpassed 17k of Spotify and YouTube streams combined, before five singles were wrapped up into one nail bomb of a debut EP in 2023’s “Torment“. Dylan Alves of Harbinger and Connor Connolly of Feelshame made their presence felt with guest vocal appearances on that one, all the while the band building a reputation for a fierce and energetic live show…

52 seconds in a haunted mansion basement torture chamber hell with crawling dungeon synths creates a chilling atmosphere as Shoot To Kill create some dark magic with their introduction piece but nothing can truly prepare you for the rampaging “Violence“. A blood curdling roar is accompanied by old school Metalcore riffs played at breakneck speed, reaching up into the realm of Symphonic Deathcore but not quite reaching the heights. Emotionally charged and introspective, the vocal performance is a throat shredding of a cathartic release of impressive range, the unstoppable drive of the rhythm section all the while restless and relentless. That shows no sign of slowing down as heavy hitter “Echo Chamber” surfaces from the black lagoon, fleeting moments of spoken word almost instantly replaced by the caustic screams of a man impaled on a spike. A technical, tapped solo rises like a phoenix from the ashes of the rhythmic blunt force trauma, the bludgeoning percussion the work of a monstrous drummer.

The riffs continue to fly non stop in all directions as Shoot To Kill demonstrate their preference for tight rhythmic performances over flamboyant virtuoso solos with “Stay Away In Hell” tears another hole in the space time continuum. A tale of a broken relationship that tests the sanity, the harrowing lyrical narrative is matched stride for stride, pound for pound, by a savage vocal performance. There are a couple of nuances in the guitars that rise to the surface over multiple listens but the intensity of this cut is a real demonstration of mastery of the sound that this outfit call their own. “Deceiver” follows suit, equally as barbed with staccato riff breaks in violent chord progressions as the turbulence offers up a couple of moments of blast beats. The surprise is the vocal range with a couple of passages pushing the subliminal suggestion that there is more than one vocalist when in point of fact there isn’t and a downtempo finale is a thing of beauty. Sinister synths make way for blast beats as “Stare Death In The Eyes” hits hard, Shoot To Kill showing there is more to their sound than meets the eye with electrifying leads as they channel early Motionless In White. Whether this represents an evolution in sound or is just a one off remains to be seen but the chemical enhancements on this one make a real point of difference to the skull battering. All in all a mighty fine collection of tunes to help you breathe more easily, trapping their live energy like lightening in a bottle… [8/10]

Track Listing