Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
One of the heavier debuts to hit the scene recently is the four-song S/T EP debut from Gothenburg, Sweden’s Firebreather.
The effort dropped on October 13th from Suicide Records and finds guitarist and vocalist Mattias Nööjd, bassist Kyle Pitcher, and drummer Fredrik Käll crafting some rather damaging heaviness. Mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Corrosion of Conformity, Beastmilk, Obituary) at Audiosiege in Portland, OR, and featuring artwork by legendary underground artist Adam Burke, this début is lethally crushing.
Firebreather is relatively new to the fold, having formed in the spring of 2016, from the ashes of underground doom heavyweights Galvano. Don’t let that fact deceive you into thinking they’re some sort of upstarts or novices, as nothing could be further from the truth.
There are four tracks on the EP, the shortest of which, “The Ice Lord“, is still nearly six and a half minutes in length. These timely expanses allow for the trio to barrel headlong into a volatile density that is best compared to bands like Lair Of The Minotaur or High On Fire.
Each number is anchored into place with gargantuan guitar-generated grooves, riveting, rhythmic rumbles, and gravelly, aggressive vocals. Superb production has rendered excellent sound quality for each, crystalline enough yet crushing without any muddiness whatsoever.
I believe the all-consuming doom of the closing track “Release The Lava” is possibly my own favorite of the four. It is a grandiose behemoth of monstrous riffs and somewhat tribal type drumming, the sonic accompaniment to a campaign of destruction. Nothing can dare stand before its panzer-like mass as it moves across the open field of mutilated bodies and devastation.
The S/T EP début from Firebreather is streaming via Soundcloud below and out now from Suicide Records. Listen to it below if you dare but best beware once you tread upon this path for it is darkness and death imbued and hell shall follow with it.
