Not Like This by Transgressive is a violent record for violent times. It is a statement that points a finger at you and says: ‘Hey! Remember when used to FIGHT fascists, instead of idolising them?’ It is a fucking warning – possibly the last one we’ll ever hear – that we are so fucking far down the rabbit hole of stupidity that the whole planet is at risk of disappearing up its own asshole in a puff of smoke at any fucking moment. And it’s one we need to heed.
The fact that it’s presented, all wrapped up in some of the best Death/Thrash Metal you’re likely to hear this year — as well as a vocal performance by Bethany “Beef” Pitts that cements her place at the head of the table — is just a massive fucking bargain.
This EP isn’t just fast; it’s frantic, desperate, and righteous. Transgressive understands that true political metal isn’t just about putting a defiant message over some riffs—it’s about having the music itself embody the emotional state of the collapse it describes. This is the sound of existential dread weaponized.
From the first blast of All We Are Is All We Have, Not Like This launches a blitzkrieg of technical fury that never once feels clinical. It is a calculated savagery. The guitar work, spearheaded by Alicia Cordisco and Joshua Payne, is a dizzying mix of classic, anthemic Bay Area thrash speed and the complex, crushing density of early Death Metal. They don’t just play riffs; they architect sonic assaults that shift tempo and texture without losing an inch of momentum. There is a precise surgical strike built into every passage, ensuring that the listener is never allowed a comfortable resting place. Tracks like the eponymous Not Like This are less songs and more manifestos, creating a complex tapestry of grief and revolutionary anger.
But the true revelation, the force multiplier that takes Not Like This from ‘great’ to ‘essential,’ is vocalist Bethany “Beef” Pitts. Her performance is a masterclass in controlled ferocity. She doesn’t just growl or scream; she spits. Her timbre cuts through the complex noise of the guitars and the drumming with an unnerving clarity.
This is the voice of the apocalyptic preacher, yes, but one who is standing not on a stage, but in the trenches, trading fire with the enemy. There is rage, obviously, but beneath the surface is a layer of profound, painful sorrow—a lament for the state of the world and the lives lost to the system’s cruelty. She makes the lyrical themes—the defiance against transphobia, the rage at the establishment, and the mourning of victims—feel profoundly personal and universal all at once. When she shrieks, it’s not an affectation; it’s a necessary, violent catharsis.
The rhythm section, driven by Leona Hayward’s bass and the inhumanly precise drum of Ernie Topran (Theocracy), provides the necessary foundation for this chaos. The bass doesn’t just rumble; it thrums with palpable threat, giving the low end a grinding texture that prevents the mix from soaring into empty grandeur. The drums move with the cold, unfeeling precision of a machine gun, delivering blistering blasts and thunderous double-bass that act as the perfect, non-negotiable pulse of impending war.
Not Like This is a short, sharp shock. As an EP, it benefits from a zero-tolerance policy on filler. Every moment is imbued with purpose. The production is a triumph: clean and modern enough to allow every intricate riff and Pitts’s vocals to shine with crystal-clear venom, yet retaining enough filth to remind you that this isn’t sanitized stadium metal.
In a scene often bogged down by retrospective worship and tired tropes, Transgressive—and especially the devastating impact of Beef’s voice—have delivered a debut statement that demands immediate attention. It’s defiant, it’s necessary, and it’s the sound of what happens when empathy and fury finally combine into an unstoppable weapon. It is, unequivocally, a modern classic of political extremity. Go heed the fucking warning.
Not Like This is available from the Transgressive Bandcamp page.
CHOICE CUT: A Unified War Cry
BLACK METAL ARCHIVES VERDICT: Not Like This is a blistering, blood-soaked sermon for a dying world — a furious manifesto disguised as Death/Thrash perfection. Transgressive have crafted something vital, vicious, and absolutely necessary.
