Premonitions of War - The True Face Of Panic (2002)^{Release ID: 19475}

I f***ing hated the 2000 self-titled debut EP by this band Premonitions of War. It was just deathgrind-infused deathcore f***ed up much more than Damaged and Deformity's Misanthrope EP, enough for me to put it down with a rare one-star rating. That made me hesitant in reviewing another one of their releases...until I decided to check out their second EP. And let me tell you, it's not too great, but a much better improvement that sh*tty debut EP!

Premonitions of War really stepped up their game of math/deathgrind/hardcore. It is a relentless pummeling assault, one that has worked out better than that Mouthbreather EP for me. And so this war begins...

The opening title track fights through this fury, with a quick break in the middle. "Correspondences" has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end. "The Best Day Ever" is not really the best here.

"Abomination" is close to a doomy sludge track, though maintaining the usual chaotic hardcore and electronic experimentation. "Hanging Man" continues the mechanical contrast between chords and riffs, ending with industrial beats. "A Minor Correction" is a brief one-minute deathgrind track that has only made a minor impact. The 6-minute closer "I'd Settle for Sleep" makes a bleak ending after scorching growls.

What a wonderfully brutal EP this is, though a small bit of the weakness of the debut EP still remains. The True Face of Panic might just make up for checking out their sole album Left in Kowloon. When I check that one out a few days from now, maybe it would have some massive hardcore destruction....

Favorites: "The True Face of Panic", "Correspondences", "Abomination"