Stress metal by some shit perverts. That’s probably the best description for this release. Fortunately the band’s name ‘El Shit’ and the rancid toilet on the cover don’t characterize the quality of the music. Hailing from the North, this threesome (Ron Velthuis, David Peek and Bas van Velzen) brings us structured chaos. El Shit combines intelligent song writing with emotional Meshuggah-like screams. Without losing themselves into pure disorder; staccato drums, groovy rhythms, breaks and low tuned guitars (think of Deftones Adrenaline era) are combined in this musical package. The EP contains five songs which take us on a trip along the boundaries of modern metal.

Highlights are “No Name” and especially their eight minute instrumental epos “Again” which reminds me a bit of Neurosis. The production is done by the band itself and is surprisingly good for a low budget recording. El Shit push themselves to the limit. They explore the horizons of modern metal, but in some way this journey turns against them. Two outstanding songs are alternated with three somewhat mediocre songs, which makes this album a bit inconsistent. Taking in consideration that this is just their first release, this five track EP is an impressive introduction and we’ll definitely hear more from them soon.