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MUST KILL
Cause And Effect EP

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 6.5/10

It’s strange to see a UK thrash act opting for the generic Ed Repka-like cover artwork (courtesy of Dan Goldsworthy), so let’s hope this release doesn’t get swallowed up. Must Kill is a quartet from Milton Keynes which formed in 2018 and feature a current line-up of Dan Pool (vocals and rhythm guitar), Daryl Cooper (lead guitar), John Otter (bass) and James Bell (drums). In March 2020 the band issued its debut EP Ghost Malevolent, which was a solid if somewhat unremarkable outing that bridged the gap between thrash and death metal, and Cause And Effect unravels in a similar manner.

Dan Pool’s vocals drift in and out of yaps, scowls and chesty coughs, and in a sense these variations give the band a rather contemporary and, sadly, a generic feel and I don’t pick up many of the old school values they speak of. It’s all delivered in an aggressive fashion of which I’m appreciative and I do enjoy the mixing of styles, especially where the melodious leads worm their way on.

I guess it’s just down to personal taste, but to me this EP benefits more when the sound is slower and more groove-orientated, such as on the title track which isn’t far removed from Pantera in style. ‘My Scourge Sentence’ offers a lot of pace and after several listens I’ve begun to realise that the vocals grate somewhat, more so when in that contemporary yap. Even so, ‘No More’ is a good example of the band at ease in those melodic strains as again those big grooves come into play, while ‘Bête Noire’ mixes pace and serves up dollops of abrasive scowls. However, when the EP finishes I’m not exactly blown away.

Friends of mine are of the opinion that Must Kill are at the forefront of the UK underground thrash scene, but I fail to detect such positivity. Sure, Cause And Effect is a sniping record, but there is something clinical and cold about its contemporary rage that at times alienates me.

Neil Arnold

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