Originally published in Verbicide issue #3

This two-song EP is brutally emotional and painfully chaotic; the tempo, enjoyably inconsistent, shifting between a disturbingly mellow, meandering pace to ferocious, fast-paced volatilization. The title track A-side, “Heartless,” punishes the ear with aggressive screaming and crunching guitar before inconspicuously changing to a pseudo-passive, howling guitar solo. The song abruptly shifts gears with the final declaration: “I have no home on earth,” and concludes with a drawn-out session of feedback, eerily precluding the equivocal opening of the B-side, “Through the Cracks.” This may be the most diverse six minutes in music; it is brutal enough to inspire a killing spree, yet tragically melancholic to send you crawling by your lonesome to a dark corner. Truly personal lyrics compliment some of the heaviest music I’ve heard yet; plus, it’s printed on really cool clear vinyl. This Texas-based band also has another two-song EP out on Renaissance titled Poison Apple, which was released in 1999 — a little more fast-paced, equally technical and fierce, with bizarre cover art you have to see to believe.

(Renaissance Recordings, PO Box 66146, Greensboro, NC 27403)