The whole idea behind Like Rats (who feature a member of the brutal Weekend Nachos) was to fit the caustic metal of Celtic Frost into a hardcore punk frame. The resultant entry, this 2010 7", is a pretty righteous EP that kinda nails it. Like Converge or Trap Them, but wish there was a bit more of a black/thrash metal vibe? Here you go.

"Bogs" thumps along with a nifty, crusty tempo and a bit of that D-beat flair with scratchy, demonic vocals leading the filthy charge. When "Hunger" kicks in, all I can imagine is a bunch of kids deliberately two-stepping on the floor of a dimly lit venue–at least, until the tempo goes into overdrive. "Fathers" is a stuffy, mid-tempo rager, while closer "Reproduce" has nearly comprehensible vocals at times and something resembling a hook. No matter–for all of Like Rats' failure to write instantly memorable moments, they usually snag you with an overwhelming roar of some sort.

Mean/pissed/intense/aggressive/caustic/frothy. Any sort of the usual descriptive adjectives can apply to Like Rats' rather solid 7" debut here, whether you're looking for the hardcore alternative to throttling metal or a vicious blend of 'em.

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2010 EP

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Bogs