Spirit of Vengeance are among the vastly growing list of DIY bands from Canada that we have the pleasure of shining some light on. These Toronto heavyweights have made quite the reputation for themselves in the last couple of years; known for their high energy shows, incredibly rabid mosh pits, and all around heavy and ignorant beatdown style they bring to a record. Spirit Of Vengeance have proven they bust their butts harder than most groups, both on and off the stage. Having recently dropped a brand new EP, titled 2023 Promo, listeners are graced with two brand new tracks from the quartet. Spirit Of Vengeance are also some of the first in the Ontario hardcore scene to add a live track to one their records; quite the treat for fans. 2023 Promo is yet another record engineered and produced by the talented Andy Dmytryshyn (Reality Denied/School House Studios) in recent months as well. Having established themselves among some of the province’s best acts while gaining quite the fanbase in the process, Spirit Of Vengeance are becoming one of the hottest metal acts in Ontario. The group means business and this latest demonstration further proves that.
Opening up this beast of a record is “Kiss The Grave”. Roughly 2.5 minutes long, this track sets the tone for the EP perfectly. Kiss The Grave gives listeners exactly what they expect from a Spirit Of Vengeance record in its first couple of minutes and that is exactly what we love in a hardcore record. Full of slamming breakdowns, two stepping thrashy guitar riffs, and vocals so raw that Gordon Ramsay would point it out. We are also blessed this record with some solid recordings of bassist Blaine Webster absolutely crushing it on backing vocals. The group have stuck with a sound that works for them on this third release while also making it obvious they’re pushing their boundaries as a group making this opening track one of their best to date.
Continuing to push these boundaries, we’re given track two, Suffer. Starting the track with a Slayer-esque drum style and a crunchy guitar riff to compliment it; this will go on for the first minute before vocalist Elijah Johnson enters the scene with their signature raw growl. At the moment Elijah enters, instrumentals slow down a hair for an ignorantly heavy drop. Lets hope liability papers are signed before any Spirit Of Vengeance show moving forward because this is a sure fire way to make a crowd erupt into absolute chaos in under one minute. Halfway through the track we get a nice 80’s thrash style guitar solo before ending the song on a strong note the only way SOV know how. By delivering one last heavy drop to finish us off for good.
Third and final track comes as a surprise to everyone. Covering Shattered Realm‘s popular track This World Is Mine, it becomes abundantly clear where the group’s inspiration lies. While sounding borderline identical to the original, it’s fair to say Shattered Realm would be more than impressed and probably proud of these four and how well done this cover really is. Having also hit up Canada’s #1 beverage consumer to record the audio for the track; listeners not only get this wonderful cover but they get it with a sprinkle of the Scoped Exposure treatment. To say a lot of effort and care was put into not only this track but the record as a whole is clearly an understatement. Spirit Of Vengeance are part of the ever growing Ontario hardcore scene working hard to prove Canada deserves the spotlight right now. With so many bands readily available through streaming services, Spirit Of Vengeance is one people need to listen to right now, especially after the release of 2023 Promo.