The Felix Culpa

Bury The Axe EP

Written by: DR on 10/07/2011 18:50:41

A little over a year after releasing the best album of 2010 (in my opinion), The Felix Culpa are back, re-releasing that same album, only this time through No Sleep Records and with an additional three tracks, otherwise known as the "Bury The Axe" EP. The three songs, "Mallets", "Towers", "Spaces", were written at the same as the "Sever Your Roots" material, but for whatever reason didn't eventually make it onto the album.

The first track, "Mallets", is a step into instrumental waters for this band, and it sounds exactly as you might expect most of "Sever Your Roots" would sound without the vocals: through intricate instrumental work they create an airy soundscape of post-rock proportions, until they (typically) slowly bring in heavy, suggestive bass-work and, before you know it, everything that was beautiful is being destroyed by pile-driving musicianship.

"Towers" is everything this band do best, and as a result is among the finest songs they've penned. Again, it starts out as you'd expect it to, much like the previous track, only now with the piano used (more prominently?) in conjunction Marky's emotive vocals and well-crafted lyrics. It combines their unrivalled ability to play something so light and delicate, that, with the help of Marky's cleans-turned-strained-screams, gets thrusted into hardcore-heavy territories as the song climaxes - yet without it ever feeling forced.

Final track, "Spaces", however, is a disappointingly weak effort for The Felix Culpa. It combines neither the devastating nor dainty musicianship, and although the vocals and lyrics are good, they're not great. It's not a poor song by any means, just a bland one that is awkwardly middle-of-the-road for this band.

"Bury The Axe" isn't being sold separately as of yet; however, if for some reason you missed out on "Sever Your Roots" last year, now would be a great time to pick it up as you'd get this EP free with it. Otherwise, "Bury The Axe" will probably go down as an essential in the eyes of any Culpa fanboy, but overall I'd hesitate to hail it as anything other than a good release from band of whom we've come to expect greatness.

7

Download: Towers, Mallets
For The Fans of: Thrice, As Cities Burn, Brand New, And So I Watch You From Afar
Listen: Myspace

Release Date 22.02.2011
No Sleep Records

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