For those that know me know that guitarist John Letzkus and i go way back. He was a mere 19 years old when i was first introduced to his music through his then project Striknine. He was a extremely talented guitarist just starting to find his way into the music scene itself. Shortly thereafter he began a project called Summer's End. Releasing their well received self titled debut in 2005 the band began to tour before unfortunately having to call it a day. The band blended a mixture of melo death with metalcore elements. The project tried to be resurrected around 2007 but the small 2 song demo at the time saw the band moving in a more melodic/symphonic black metal direction. Despite the change in musical direction the material seemed very promising but again the project fell through and John moved on to other endeavors at the time.
Then in early 2015 i was made aware that John had yet again resurrected Summer's End and he ended up playing me a demo song to which i was completely blown away. To some degree i was not shocked at the precision of the playing as i was familiar with the other members of the band. The incarnation of the band is different from its debut but the players involved all come from other talented and great projects in the Baltimore area. Prior to Summer's End John had been involved with Dead N Wasted which featured Mike Edwards on Bass who has since taken over for Brian "Bucky" Griffin. Another tie in from Dead N Wasted is guitarist Chris Keller who along with drummer Henry (the best drummer in MD) Everitt are also invovled in a death metal project called Condemn the Infected.
The final cog in this stellar allstar cast is singer/vocalist Tommy Mott who ironically headed the Striknine project so many moons ago. Outside of the incredible talent the band possesses their energy live is something to behold. Together this collective brings some of the best work that Summer's End has done despite the lapse in time between records. While the band has a full length coming in the near future they currently have this 4 song EP called "This is Horror" due to be released in Feburary. The band has once again changed direction and almost come full circle back to their melodic death metal roots only this time the maturation process shows through significantly. But rather than sounding dated the band has re-invigorated the genre with a much needed shot of adrenaline. Songs like "The Human Canvas" showcase the excellent guitar work that work in stride with the double blast beats of Everitt on the drums.
Mott bellows out his dark and demonic growls never compromising and giving it his all with undisputed rage and aggression. The technicality of riffs are outstanding as this is probably my favorite guitar duo for the new age. The songs "This is Horror" and "Halloween" continue to show the band can impactfully create musical greatness in songs under 5 minutes that it leaves you begging for more each and every time. And dont worry my friends, the signature sound and overall feel of this EP is all there. When you hear this you will know it is Summer's End as that has not been lost in what is basically 10 years of absence. The band is back, better than ever, and at the top of their game. With the finest lineup the band has ever had the band is ready to overtake the metal throne and this EP is but just a small taste of what is yet to come so get ready, true evil has returned and the horror is just beginning.....
Tracks:
1. Exordium
2. This is Horror
3. The Human Canvas
4. Halloween
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Rating: 10/10
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