Now where in the frosty hell did something like this come from? Over and over again, there flies in a locust-like flight of blackened death metal bands doing their specific sound because Behemoth makes them horny, but Epping Forest has not one trace of violation or inconsistency throughout this nifty offering that other sub-par acts would normally succumb to within minutes of playing. Although it’s just a full-length boost, listeners will already find “Everblasting Struggle” wholeheartedly soothing amongst groups hunting for bliss in this unconventional genre, even despite having squads already sucked blood from the neck of blackened death metal, but who cares? They do it right!

Needless to say, Epping Forest’s debut truthfully captures the velocity of death metal, the aura of black metal, and all other musical qualities typically blooming upon both genre’s prime elements, minus the obvious smearing that frequently happens when a sound like so is targeted. Portions combining healthy guitar chops and shrapnel-piercing percussion steadily embark on raping your eardrums with great tremolo picking, intense solos, intelligent blasting, mathematical fills, and hunting riffs, which can easily be proved non-generic by the overall unison when slithering alongside near-flawless shrieks. Despite using this entire formula on all ten odes, these talented musicians provide enough power and force to make the end result fantastically crafted, often times making you forget the present calculations. Anything else, you ask? Try acute folk passages plastered in gold, that’s what!

But all those noteworthy attributes suddenly fall short of Epping Forest's true reward when playing the individualistic game: keyboards! This particular instrument might cause a great deal of loathing for some, but "Everblasting Struggle" proudly gets the most out of using the estranged component in intervals both common and not. You’ll soundly find yourself completely hammered from nasty tremolo picking and blastbeats, when everything suddenly stops and in comes an atmospheric interlude that can only be defined as breathtaking. Throughout our journey, the application route often times promotes pianos and trippy chimes together with pounding blackened death metal; pretty obscure, but nothing worrisome nonetheless. Really, there’s simply a garden within growing fruits that gush out more color and surprise than anything attempting a similar path, especially considering Epping Forest’s relevant choice of genre and its glorious flow as one; simply an excellent addition, to put it bluntly.

This release curls up on your lap like a fuzzy puppy just looking for attention. Well, a puppy with red eyes, fierce characteristics, and fangs longer than a hog's tusks, that is. Overall, I find this debut very refreshing when it charges against a storm of generic death/black metal bands, mainly because originality just oozes from every direction possible, much like a rising sun about to shine at its maximum potential. Epping Forest is a very interesting entity that'll certainly make you sit and enjoy authentic metal done right while you're crawling through a fistful of crucifying emblems; if it sounds good, "Everblasting Struggle" has your name written all over it.