Acrolysis – Black Dog’s Serenade (EP Review)

Acrolysis - Black Dog's Serenade

Formed in 2017, the Australian heavy metal band from Sydney, Acrolysis, released their debut EP Black Dog’s Serenade earlier this year. Their sound is influenced by Metallica, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Megadeath.

The members, Konstantine Ana, Amit Bamay, and Mytal Baba (lead guitarist, drummer and bass guitarist), work together to bring a well-blended mixture of melody and thrash. Konstantine doubles as the vocalist. His vocals throughout the EP were fitting with the slower-paced songs but did not compliment the heavier songs adequately.

This EPs length in total is 29 minutes and 48 seconds, and consists of 5 songs:
Track 1: I should have known
Track 2: One trick pony
Track 3: Where has your god gone now
Track 4: Shadows of gold
Track 5: Fifty four

Track 1: I should have known starts off with an intro similar to an emergency broadcast before the music kicks in. As the broadcast is ending, the drummer counts the band in for a relentless 40-second assault of pure thrash metal. The vocals kick in at 1 minute 14 as the first verse begins right away I’m hearing the influence of earlier Metallica & Trivium which is not an unpleasant sound but I feel that the influences overshadow the band’s originality.

Track 2: One trick pony begins with a darker, more industrial guitar riff that sounds gothic in nature, which was quite a big change from the first track.  The track has elements of thrash, industrial and classic heavy metal styles throughout the 5 minute and 48-second song. At the 4 minutes, 48 mark Konstantine delivers a 30-second classic-esque guitar solo.

Track 3: Where has your god gone now is the longest of this EP clocks in at almost 8 minutes long. This track caught my attention with a simplistic catchy bassline and an impressive guitar solo. Due to the different melody of this track compared to the first two, it held my attention for the entirety of the song.

Track 4: Shadows of gold was a personal favourite. This track has a very different approach compared to the rest of the EP. In contrast to the other 4 tracks, this song had more of a laid back vibe and a sing-along chorus to it. With a very soft melodic intro to the song, the band is showing a softer side to their metal talent with a consistent soft melodic riff throughout the verses and a heavier chorus, which allowed Konstantine’s vocals to really get a chance to shine.

Track 5: Fifty-four is an instrumental finish to the EP. The song starts off with an extremely catchy drum & bass pattern before the thrashier guitars come in. The tempo change around the 2 minutes 30 mark of this song was erratic, unexpected & unnecessary and it did not fit the feel of the track whatsoever. This part of the track despite all the good qualities of this song the tempo change is what made this track lacklustre.

Overall I enjoyed most of this EP. Black Dog’s Serenade is now out on Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp and Apple music.

Release Year: 2019
Label: self-released
Category: EP
Country: Australia

Reviewed by Q.H.