Metal Underground.com

All's Quiet gets loud in a good way on "Like Vultures," melding Southern-fried guitars with metalcore. In just six songs, the band demonstrates enough depth that, if you're like me, you'll be clamoring for a full-length album from them.

Granted, the first track, "The Division" is a bit of a throwaway. A collection of soft sounds (an amp coming on and a bunch of quiet music played backwards, joined by a quiet melody), it's probably meant to soften you up for the assault that follows on "Directionary." It seems hardly necessary, partly owing the fact that "Directionary" itself fades in.

Mack Moriarty's vocals have a hint of Southern swagger in their hardcore howl, and they power "Directionary" well, with Kyle Landry and Jared Evangelista's guitars adding extra layers of sound. Landry also lends a hand with vocals, creating a clean/harsh contrast that works very well.

"Men Of The Forest" cranks up the Southern rock factor, guitar-wise, and drummer Skylar Hendrix creates a great sense of motion. I cringed when the song slowed up, but the guitar fill in the breakdown, though simple, made it worth it.

The slow "Parasite" is a bit of a drag, initially, though the guitar breakdown in the middle is OK. It's one of those "not-great-not-terrible" songs. The next track, "Bear Grylls" features some interesting time changes, with one of the EP's most melodic driving riffs.

The band takes an unexpected turn on the disc's closer, "Like Vultures," which features (mostly) melodic vocals and acoustic guitars. The vocals are a little too raw for this approach, but the guitars are beautiful.

Production-wise, there's not a lot to gripe about, though it would've been nice to hear a little more of Matt Williams' bass. Also, like a lot of metalcore, things can start to sound alike pretty easily — especially in the slow breakdowns. Still, the band's addition of Southern sounds to the genre definitely helps it stand out.

On "Like Vultures," All's Quiet has made a joyful noise that adds Southern-fried guitars to the metalcore mix.