Bringer Of Light are a Texas based, self-labelled “deathcore-ish” band and Anthology I is their latest EP, released on 15/02/2023.

With Brad TBolt as the mastermind behind the project, which by the way is a one-man band, the EP shows us that death metal (and all its connected connotations!) is, in fact, still very much alive and kicking.

This EP has just four tracks with a combined length of just over 16 minutes but it is a slab of pure, unadulterated death / deathcore metal. The EP, itself, shows just how talented this guy is and that he obviously knows his genre inside out and upside down.

But this more than just a deathcore album!

With the heavy stomping riffs and fast, double kicking drums of traditional death metal, there are obvious influences from the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Carcass and Death, but what sets this album apart from other death / deathcore albums is the inclusion of electronica.

Synths create electronic sounds and bytes behind the main core of the music, and this gives the album a more industrial metal feel too. Distortion plays a heavy role in the guitar sound but the use of clean guitars also makes for a stark contrast in sounds.

Behind the main music there is also a slight gothic undertone at various points during the tracks and this gives the EP an atmospheric feel in conjunction with the brutalness of it.

The vocals are based firmly in the death metal genre, deep guttural growls with lyrics that are sometimes actually inaudible, but in amongst this, fast black metal vocals are thrown in and clean vocals even pop up at various points.

If all of this was thrown into a pot and mixed around for a bit, I don’t think the label of deathcore would be what emerges regarding this EP’s sound. It is not always easy for such an extreme band to be able to blur the lines between genres, usually standing staunchly in one or the other, but Bringer Of Light is certainly a band who has done just this.

Absolutely brutal EP that should be on the playlist of any self-respecting fan of death metal, deathcore, black metal, and other extreme genres.

But don’t take my word for it, head on over to the dark side and check this out for yourself. Oh and while you are doing, just remember one thing. This is one-man band! One man! Totally awesome.

Track Listing:

1 117

2 Saints Of Newark

3 New Blood Headcanon

4 Cocomelon

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum