EP REVIEW: Sinneseld – God Mother

It was a good day when GOD MOTHER brought an end to five years of studio silence with the release of the Obeveklig EP back in 2022. The Stockholm-based chaotic hardcore outfit had been on a hell of a tear in the previous decade, not only releasing two fantastic full-lengths in Maktbehov (2015) and Vilseledd (2017), but also being handpicked by Ben Weinman both as a farewell show opener and spiritual successor to the almighty DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. And while there is still no sign of that long overdue third full-length at the moment, it is another good day that sees the arrival of seven minutes or so of new music from the Swedes in the form of their latest EP Sinneseld.

Fleeting though it may be, a large part of both the appeal and success of GOD MOTHER’s music has always come down to its urgency. In Sinneseld’s case that is exactly how tracks like the borderline accessible Big Things Coming and the brutish grind of Human+ can exist and work on the same record, and such a short one at that. Perhaps it is also because neither of them are miles removed from the three tracks that fill the space between them – both sonically and in one case literally. Huddinge Blues, Breacher and Spellcraft are all chaotic hardcore ragers that should scratch itches for fans of the esteemed likes of CONVERGE and EVERY TIME I DIE, and while the other two may run in opposite directions, neither ends up too far from the true north signposted by the tracks around them.

Big Things Coming is definitely the highlight though – or at the very least the most immediately memorable. It’s a proper catchy rocking banger that sinks its hooks in way quicker than GOD MOTHER usually do with vocalist Sebastian Campbell going for more of a shout than a scream as he repeats just a few short lines over cowbell-driven verses and incendiary choruses alike. To reiterate – and to be clear – it still tracks naturally enough with what one might have come to expect from the band, all raucous and ramshackle and furious and still not unlike something the aforementioned EVERY TIME I DIE would have done, but it is a new string to GOD MOTHER’s bow, and no doubt one a fair few people would probably like to see them pull again given the accuracy with which they hit their mark here.

Of course, more important than any speculation on the direction of any future music is the question of when the bloody hell GOD MOTHER are gonna pull their finger out and drop a new album. It’s been too long, they’ve clearly still got it as this EP proves without question, and not only that it sounds like they might have even more up their sleeves than the already outstanding and excoriating chaotic hardcore with which they have earned a place on many a radar in the first place. Come on lads…

Rating: 8/10

Sinneseld is set for release on May 10th via self-release.

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