The debut EP by Canadian black metal band UUROD, Stench of Blood and Shadows, is like having your head jammed in a blender, that blender then filled to the brim with liquid concrete , and having the fucker jammed on, all the way up to 11.

But in a good way.

The three tracks on offer – conveniently titled I, II, and III – overwhem you from the first note to the last and never ease up, even when there are times that it feels as if you are about to drown in the maelstrom of sound that threatens to tear itself apart and yet, somehow, UUROD manages to contain the insanity that fuels it. The thunderous drumming pins the whole thing together like the hammer of the gods themselves, while the guitars and vocals swarm over you like a ravenous fucking horde. The combination of these elements leaves you gasping for air like a drowning man, the assault on your senses threatens to overwhelm you and drag you deep into the watery black metal abyss you have foolish decide to take a dip in. Yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Unlike most EP’s, UUROD’s Stench of Blood and Shadows shouldn’t be viewed as three seperate songs, but as one glorious piece of claustrophobic musical madness split into three parts, and as debut releases go, this is on another level. Stench of Blood and Shadows is guaranteed to smother you with its dark, violent, brutal, primal black metal, and the best part of all that is that you will worship it for doing so.

Head on over to UUROD’s Bandcamp page and name your price for what I consider to be the best debut EP of 2024.