This is the debut EP from international doom metal band Euchridian.
It’s taken me a while to get round to this one, but I’m glad I finally did. I knew I wanted to give it a go due to Euchridian featuring current and ex-members of Barshasketh and Of Spire & Throne, both bands worthy of your time.
So what of Euchridian? Is this new entity also worthy of your valuable time? Obviously the answer is yes, as otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered writing about it.
Philia contains two tracks, with a total duration of 23 minutes.
Sweetness starts with a riff that’s somehow both traditional doom metal and sludge at the same time; halfway epic, and halfway grimy and filthy. Grim blackened screams erupt with piercing intensity, before forlorn melodies start to seep out of the music. Yep, I’m glad I gave Euchridian a chance. I feel like the song is going to break out into Lucifer’s Fall-style vocals at any point, but Euchridian’s singer keeps the pressure on throughout with those tortured shrieks. Musically there’s much to like if you’re into your doom metal. There’s a sludge element, as mentioned, but I can also hear aspects of an act like Primordial in some of the emotive riffs and melodies. It also boasts a quality liquid metal solo, and overall the track is a strong introduction to the world of Euchridian.
The Rule of Three is the longer of the two tracks, and opens with a Black-Sabbath-meets-Eyehategod riff that has instant gravitas. It rumbles along in a similar fashion to its predecessor, and is just as compelling. Euchridian appear to have an ear for a killer riff, and this EP is full of them. The Rule of Three is hard to remain still to, let me tell you. The band also know how far they can push the repetitive aspect of this sort of doom/sludge; it’s a balancing act, but they walk it well. The first six minutes are absorbing, but after that it somehow manages to elevate itself further into realms of rarefied worldbuilding.
This is a great EP, one that makes me extremely interested in hearing a full length from Euchridian. Let’s see where they go with this next.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 