Manchester’s Monasteries are an unrelating force of primal aggression. Bringing nothing but absolute, seething rage and erratic audible violence, the band’s new EP is far from the traditional definition of Silence. The band recently penned a deal with US based label Seek And Strike Records, placing them alongside acts such as Upon A Burning Body and Orbit Culture. Through the five tracks of Silence, you are continually blasted with hulking, chugged riffs that do nothing short of wreaking complete havoc inside your cochleas. The interwoven use of synth hits and electronics between the various dent style rhythms is just enough to help create a grimy, intense, industrial atmosphere. In some areas they serve the purpose of creating a brooding sense of dread through sheer grandiosity, best demonstrated on the EPs closing and title track ‘Silence (In the Place Where Heaven Should Be Found)’. The heavy use of groove laden, djent polyrhythms are executed in such a way that Meshuggah would be proud. That fused with the various dynamic effects of squealing pinch harmonics, discordant melodic sections and aerial dive bombs, more commonly found in modern technical death metal, keeps the frenzied and chaotic atmosphere on a knife edge with their unpredictable usage. The one anomaly in the EP that adds some contrast is ‘Allowing Your Traitors to Die’ which takes on some more melodic vocals and a metalcore approach yet still retains the devastating heaviness already established on the previous tracks. With it’s tech death and progressive death metal feel, there is so much crammed into these five tracks that anymore would leave you picking your skull up off the floor. The unrelenting heaviness and grooves will no doubt have you pulling the Jens Kidman face as you give way to the primal rage within you. Score: 8/10 Silence is released April 23rd via Seek and Strike Records. Pre-order the album here.