Baptists

This self-titled debut seven-inch from Vancouver, BC's Baptists is a roaring, head-on collision. Contrary to the longwinded 13-minute serenades of some of their forefathers (Converge, Trap Them, Neurosis), Baptists is a quick listen, with each song averaging two minutes. No fancy preludes or interludes: you walk out of it ready to kill a baby with your bare hands. A breakdown or bridge solo would have been favourable to steer away from redundancy, and "Bachelor Degree Burn" sounds like a Converge cover, which isn't a negative unless you factor in that the purpose of a four-song EP is to showcase uniqueness. Moreover, the vocalist's throaty growls are, at times, too high- pitched, in conjunction with the heavy bass and drums, causing their sound to overshadow his vocals. Baptists' first release establishes them as a penetrating act in the Canadian hardcore scene. This four-song EP is a solid, distinguished blend of "brutal, yet cathartic."