Euphoria – Operation : Genesis + The Omega Void EP

Once again, Evil EyE Records have delivered the goods. This time by a deluxe double disc package version of Operation : Genesis + The Omega Void EP by American thrash metallers Euphoria. Do you remember the feeling you had when you heard Reign In Blood, Kill Em All or Bonded By Blood for the first time? Well I got it when the slamming riffs of album opener Operation Genesis set the standard for the rest of the album. No pause for breath as ‘Theoretical Conception’ shoots out with warp speed, buzzing riffing hurtling along like angry hornets, ridiculously fast footwork from drummer Louie Badalament and a lung shredding vocal from Justin Kelter. Inhuman time changes will baffle you and that’s only in the first minute of ‘Primordial Dominance’. It continues with razor sharp guitar lines that weave in and out of the fury as finger blistering solos crash in midway. The tongue twisting title of ‘Cyberschizophrenia’ sees volley after volley of shredding that provides the foil for demonic vocals.

A shift down the gears for ‘Watchtower’ means technical, pounding thrash metal that leaves spaces for Justin to spit an angry vocal out. ‘Aftershock : The Act Of War’ lives up to its title purely for the drum battery alone that is joined by a suffocating blur of riffing. The six minute duration of ‘Parasite’ does not overstay its welcome as the slow burning lengthy intro sets the scene for surges of melodic riffing and a guttural vocal as a foot to the floor finish will keep the air guitarists happy. The epic ‘Black Dawn’ an even longer track, clocking in at seven minutes crushes all in its path, peppered with bursts of technical thrash metal and an unhinged, whispered vocal. ‘The Andromeda Effect’ is a sure fire pit opener! A calm before the storm Slayer like intro heads into nitro glycerine fuelled tempos that hurtle along like a runaway train and a helium charged vocal tops it off as ‘Outro’ brings the album to a close.

The brand new four track Omega Void EP begins with the self titled number, a surprisingly soothing ambient piece as all hell breaks loose with the proto thrash of ‘The Divine Embrace’ as Justin screeches like a younger Steve Souza. ‘Senescence’ is aptly titled as tranquil string arrangements and gentle guitar lines flow through this delicate instrumental. The EP closes heavily with the thrash metal meets classic rock of ‘Dimension Zeroth’, a nine minute monster that rises and falls on multi tempo time changes with virtuoso guitar solos midway.

Describing themselves as “Sci fi thrash metal with NWOBHM”, the Michigan based Euphoria have just completed a successful European tour. Their future looks very promising judging by these two releases!

Album track line up :-

Operation Genesis.

Theoretical Conception.

Primordial Dominance.

Cyberschizophrenia.

Watchtower.

Aftershock.

Parasite.

Black Dawn.

The Andromeda Effect.

Outro.

EP track listing :-

The Omega Void.

The Divine Embrace.

Senescence.

Dimension Zeroth.

Euphoria band line up :-

Justin Kelter – Vocals.

Bubba Colonna – Guitars.

George Fjord – Bass guitar.

Louie Badalament – Drums.