Cursed Earth – “Cycles Of Grief Vol. 1: Growth” [EP] [Album Review]

Australia has been no slouch in its offerings towards the world of the hard and heavy; with such talents as Portal, Ne Obliviscaris, and Thy Art Is Murder, that’s a given. Well, with Cursed Earth, we can add one more relatively new but explosive metallic hardcore group to watch out for, because this EP is straight fire and nothing less.

Since first hearing Vape Mortis way back in 2014, I hoped to hear more from these guys (and gal), and I’m glad they’ve not only thrived, but have grown. The tracks here are so blunt and harsh you’ll swear you can actually feel concrete, glass, and rebar, pushing their way into your ears alongside the notes!

As “War March” precedes the absolute beating of “Broken”, you can easily sense how crushing this outfit is. With the likes of America’s Code Orange, or the UK’s Venom Prison or Employed To Serve, already making strides, Australia certainly has their answer for brutal metallic hardcore with a totally fierce femme at the mic.

There’s enough angst here to exhaust freshmen in just a few minutes. By the time the massive closer, “Violated”, leaves you feeling just that, only the bravest will dare to hit repeat for another assault.

Cycles of Grief Vol. 1: Growth Track Listing:

01. War March
02. Broken
03. Discarded
04. Sanctioned Violence
05. Violated

Run Time: 9:43
Release Date: August 4, 2017
Record Label: UNFD

Check out the video for the combined ballast of “War March” and “Broken”.