Carcosa

Carcosa [EP] (2017)

Mike

Long Island’s Carcosa bring a weighty and layered heavy to underground music. They don’t fit any necessarily specific genre either. Their brand of music is, quite simply, heavy. And their first proper release, a self-titled five-song EP for State of Mind Recordings, is a great introduction to these heavyweights.

The sound here blends elements of drop-tuned chugging rhythms with understated spooky leads and intricate drumming. There are certainly moments of hardcore patterns worked into a larger scope of sludgy but powerful metal structure. Again, we’re working with a genre-bender here. And the opening song, “Terrorizer,” brings all of these pieces together. The guitar lead that segues into the vocals here is not only well-placed, but it’s also just super unsettling. It almost spooks the listener just before bringing in the heavy arsenal of guttural shouting. The song closes in under two and half minutes, another strong suit for Carcosa.

“Pillager” is the EP’s strongest track. It rips forward with an odd melody in the otherwise pounding opening of the rhythm guitars. The drums do a great job in offsetting an otherwise directly hardcore verse part, only to blast into a scaling metal riff. Yes. Carcosa fits that much into the song, and more. The vocals mix a grating shout with surprisingly clear projection that complement the guitar work really nicely. Similar song structures pop up in “Bleeding Out” while also delving into a bit of a gloomier tone a la All Pigs Must Die.

What we’re getting on this debut EP are the best parts of Trap Them and Crowbar. Carcosa really balance their complexity with remarkably palatable songs, given their influences. This is an EP that will satisfy the mosh-ready hardcore fan as much as it will the more metal-bound listener. “Religion, Lies” is another great song that reflects that balance.

This EP is more than worth the measly six bucks State of Mind is asking for.