Metal is great. There’s nothing like a kick ass metal riff and a growly singer grumbling on about death, war, and Satan. When I saw my editor was requesting me to review the EP I said to myself, “Nice! Metal. Should be fun to review.” Upon first glance, I knew it was metal. I mean, the band’s name is Mournblade, the cover art is black and red, and song titles include “Lord of Chaos,” “Holy War,” and “Mangled Lies.” Apparently, Mournblade has been making music (unbeknownst to me) since the late ‘80s. Many problems have plagued them: military deployment, imprisonment, and one of the band members actually committed suicide. They should be praised for their tenacity. It’s just…they could use some Red Bull. Their music is lacking the explosive power that is required to create a solid metal record. They sound like they’re tired — like metal on Xanax. It’s unfortunate. I’d love to say that this is a fantastic EP, these hardworking guys deserve a great review. I have to be honest, though, I wasn’t impressed. The lyrics are full of gore, hate, and all the goodies you’d expect from metal veterans, but I want to feel the hate. I don’t feel it, because it’s just not there.

(Open Grave Records, 4348 Main Street, Whitehall, PA 18502)