Metal Underground.com

The Sin Committee has an uncharacteristically big sound for being a four-piece consisting of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. The vocals involve two- and three-part harmony, cutting through the gigantic sound on “Confess” to round out any rough edges. Spiraling up through a heavily effected drum fill, the title track erupts in a passage of melodic fury. Smart melodic and heavy guitar work, blended vocals, monstrous bass, and coordinated thought-out drumming sets The Sin Committee on a pedestal above most simple-minded death metal bands.

The bass guitar follows the guitar playing for the most part, which is no easy task for this band. The sound of the bass on this EP is billowing and large, like a sinister beast, and right out front. Guitars are played by only one player and show a diversity of playing skill and various nods to classic death metal acts in style. “Straw Men” highlights the band’s skill of taking a song through stages of development, working up into frenzies after being built up. You won’t find any overtly distracting technicality taking away from the brutality of the music here, either. “Serious Adverse Event” hits like a bludgeoning tool on the level of Cannibal Corpse for its main riff. The drumming is loud, capable, and clear, benefitting from great production work at Toneshed Studio.

Lyrically, the songs seem to be related and a story could be drawn up by connecting all the tracks. Clear and unique vocals top off the picture. “For every soul departed, your legacy will burn in hell” – the lyrics from “Regression of Faith” exemplify most of the writing on the album.

While the band is still relatively new, their sound is large and focused. “Confess” clocks in at just under twenty-three minutes of focused fire. Don’t let this fool you, though – this is a twenty-three minute beatdown. In the future, The Sin Committee may find themselves treading on the same grounds as Opeth, Six Feet Under, and Switched.