The Creature Within are setting up to blast onto the music scene in the East Midlands. The three piece from Northamptonshire, England formed after the breakup of prog-metal outfit Project Mothra, who were prominent in the scene up until last year. The trio have just finished their first EP, A Slave to my Mind; two songs that show off some impressive riffs, vocal melodies, and a rich, layered approach to production that, for a band’s first time recordings, pleasantly surprised this reviewer.
Starting off the release is the track Who Am I, a striking introduction to the band’s sound with some heavy distortion, layered soundscapes, and an overall sonic flavor that sounds ‘big’ enough for a festival stage. The stoner-metal influence is evident here, as an overall piece it is reminiscent of the likes of Mastodon or Red Fang, with elements of southern-groove akin to that of Down. Moreover, the vocals would be right at home on a Mastodon or perhaps Steak Number Eight record, but the infusion of styles is definitely what is unique about this track and about the band as whole. The group vocals on the choruses once again entice visions of a track like this being played on a large stage, encouraging crowd participation.
In comparison, the second track Schattenman (Shadow man in German) shows a very different side to the band – compared to Who Am I, Schattenman hits hard with a much faster tempo and aggressiveness that would be right at home at a DIY hardcore show. The vocals are much more piercing and less distorted that the preceding track, filled with aggro-punk rage with relentlessly fast instrumentation to compliment it. Overall, this is a welcome choice from the band to show such sonic diversity on a release with only two tracks.
The Creature Within debut EP A Slave to my Mind will be available on Spotify, iTunes and on CD direct from the band from June 13th
For more on the band visit their Facebook page.
