After a moment of deathy slams, "mainframe" begins with a traditional hardcore style beginning. Right when my metal nerves started to unravel (not to mention the name "Mainstay" reeked of hardcore) the guttural march was re-instated. I noticed a strong ZAO (Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest) deathgroove style during the first shrill vocal part. Yes, this was a pleasantry. Again, shortly after, the acoustical segment blends back to the talking vocal style, yet with a mellow metal background this time. Alas, the song is finished with some death/thrash elements. Yes this song changed musical structures often, but who's complaining at that.
"Sympathy for a lost hope" continues with another acoustical segment, but is abruptly halted with ear-piercing strumming (is this the start of "Helter Skelter"...yes I mean the Beatles.) I have to call the style that follows crust mainly cause it made me want to rail-slide atop a few half-pipes! There is plenty of death (some doom) that finishes off the track, but the majority is thrashy crust.
"Cataclysmic carnage" remained run-o-the mill death, but the lengthy grind section in the middle of the track was a bonus (guess that labels this a "bonus track"...Oh I'm Whacky, WHACKY I SAY!) The final track "fall like fire" is short and completely acoustical. This would be fine if this was a full length release, but being an EP it made this disc way too short (a "wee" P.) When I first played this I was "mildly satisfied", but it ended up being pretty decent. The percussion has plenty of fills and complexity, always a plus. Not a bad first release. I'll look forward to the full length. "An atheist is born of your actions, believing in self-belief"
7/10
