Carrion, "Blood + Diamonds" EP Review

Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and sound designer Hide Tepes is back with another release from his project Carrion. The four song EP starts off with the searing track "Blood Not Diamonds", which sets the mood for the rest of the listening experience. Expertly blending elements of black metal and industrial together, this EP does not play like any other industrial metal hybrid out there; there is no dancing or club worthy stomp-alongs. Rather, it shreds with guitar tones as icy as the Norwegian landscape, percussion that absolutely bludgeons, and instrumentals that build nightmarish ambience in swirling layers. Carrion takes us on a journey of dark audio violence, that can, at times, be as beautiful as it is brutal. The track "Heaven Can Wait" clearly demonstrates that range, as the instrumentals in the chorus soar with an almost celestial melody while Hide unleashes some of the most ungodly shrieks this writer has ever heard (being a seasoned metal head, I've definitely heard my fair share). While only four songs long, "Blood + Diamonds" is an exercise in beauty and brutality that will stick with you well after the last notes drip their venom into your ears.

Stand out track: "Heaven Can Wait"