On their first full EP, the Serbian band of Ophidian Coil turns out four tracks (plus an intro) of blackened death metal, with firm guitar chords trading off with tremolo shredding, while the drums (which seem oddly low in the mix) beat down hard and steady. The requisite growling is performed with respectable energy, verging on gargling at some points, but in spite of the earnest aggression put into it, the EP’s few distinctive moments come when the band ditches the vocals to drop into instrumental mode, where they show much more control over the songs’ energies, along with a real knack for making the guitar emote (check “Hymns of Deflesh” for good examples). It’s a rough effort, but one which shows the group building from a solid base.
Scrambled Brains 