This mathcore band features in its ranks ex-The Apex, a band who we liked around these parts and who showed great potential with their abrasive, technical metalcore. The songs on this noisy EP—Trenchlung’s second—will please anyone who enjoyed The Apex, as this Canadian/Australian band continue to deliver truly chaotic metalcore with a sheen, reminiscent of when bands like Beneath The Massacre and Ion Dissonance ruled the earth, or at least my stereo. 

Opening track “I” delivers everything I want hectic, dissonant math/metalcore to deliver, from broken-glass riffing to nerve-fraying song structure. Tyson Taylor is excellent behind the kit, his double-bass work in particular impressive as he leads the band through what can generously be considered “songs” but are more or less the kitchen-sink approach to metalcore; the band makes it work but there’s absolutely no way any of these are going to stick with you, or even connect beyond an initial, animalistic impact. But that’s exactly the point, through “III”’s grinding and “V”’s reminder that, hey, the EP is nearing its end and there’s not a good cop in sight. And let’s be thankful for that, Trenchlung reminding us that a sound that ran itself into the ground years ago can still be vital and exciting (sure, after about 20 minutes you might be sneaking glances at the time, but, still), the band just hammering constantly, hammering through a few bonus tracks for the hell of it, hammer, hammer, no melodic parts anywhere, hammer.