Nowadays, death metal is something that comes in so many different forms, and I don’t know about you, but I’m still absolutely here for it. The diversity that the genre has long boasted has been a big reason why death metal is still going so strong, and I’ve always felt as though when some melody is properly injected into that necrotic mix can be the road to achieving great success. That being said, it can be quite some time before we find ourselves before an act that manages to utilize melody in a way that feels effective for what it can be. With their latest EP, Vow does so to tremendous effect.

A brief excursion into your craft can be all one needs in order to show listeners what you’re capable of, but with limited time comes the trade-off of you needing to be purposeful with damn near every move you make. It can be quite the challenge to make a solid impression in just a few tracks, but rarely has that ever stopped a plucky name on the rise from trying their hand at it. Throughout the six tracks of “Death Will Be My Bridge”, Vow constantly and consistently shows us not just how adept they’ve become at melodic death metal since their beginnings just two years ago, but how much further they clearly have yet to go. This EP feels like a brief glimpse into a power the likes of which evidently has more lurking right beneath its surface. Between its riffs and diabolic atmosphere that permeate virtually every decision made, the very aura of “Death Will Be My Bridge” is as intoxicating as it is efficient! Here, we’re given a distilled vision of melodic death metal that’s quite simplistic in nature but never once leaving anything on the table such that this is an EP of little more than skin and bones, the meat of the EP truly allows you to sink your teeth into the work, savor each flavor that bursts through, and effortlessly enables you to analyze every layer in exquisite detail. Despite only offering a runtime that just barely clocks in over twenty-six minutes, one cannot help but be satisfied by the six-course meal that “Death Will Be My Bridge” offers.

Apart from a demo and a split before now, this is Vow’s proper entrance into the scene, and it is nothing if not promising! Where many others might fumble or struggle to understand how to deliver undeniable intensity with the calculated menace that melody can offer, it’s here that Vow dominates at every turn. “Death Will Be My Bridge” is just the beginning for this Chicago quintet with glory for the taking should the act simply tighten its grip and seize the opportunity.

LISTEN to “Death Will Be My Bridge” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Vow on Instagram here.