EP REVIEW: Born Alone, Die Alone – Yersin
It’s been two years since Sunderland trio YERSIN released a stand out album in the form of The Scythe is Remorseless. By drawing in elements of crust, sludge, doom, death metal amongst others, YERSIN have honed themselves a sound that warrants labels such as brutal, visceral and cacophonous extreme. Yet they are a band with skill and precision. While they convey a power that would initially show a band that is looking to steamroller all before them, they are a multilayered band of musicians. There is meticulous and even delicate phrasing underpinning the anguish, highlighting them as a band of not merely aggression for aggressions sake. These elements made their previous release one of the top albums of 2024. New EP, Born Alone, Die Alone, while short and to the point, offers a deeper look at the levels that YERSIN employ all be it with the now trademark calculated extremity.
Featuring guest musician Bernie Christie, the EP opens with one half of the title. Born Alone offers a melancholic, ethereal quality to the new releases. Its dreamy qualities appear at odds with the stylistics of YERSIN. However, it is the sombre nature that lends depth to the onslaught that follows. This arrives with barely pause for breath with the powerful Wrath Of A Merciless God. The title alone offering a far darker and more belligerent take than the opening track. The band delivers in fine form. Roaring into the attack with rapid fire snare hits and a monumental wall of distorted sound. It’s a punch that provides every facet of what makes the trio so electrifying.
The EP really begins to run riot from here. The three piece are collectively firing on all cylinders. Tracks like Blasphemer with it’s tight time frame offering a breakneck rhythmic speed that will be beloved by fans of the crust elements of the band. While they continue to be masterful at breakdowns and captivating hooks of crushing power with Urban Menace. They absolutely pack out the short space that an EP provides and showcase every facet of their style with aplomb.
Closing with Die Alone, the EP is neatly bookended. But unlike the opening counterpart, there is no wispy melancholia. It’s a heavyweight bruiser and where Born Alone has a sombre nature this is raging despondency. An angry defiance that we come into the world alone and that this is the crushing inevitability we must all face. So, it’s not a comedy, but nevertheless it is riotously entertaining and utterly engaging. A release that will surely continue to showcase the quality that YERSIN can produce.
Offering a barrage of riffs, YERSIN deliver on all fronts with the short sharp attack of the Born Alone, Die Alone EP. There is little respite from the striking onslaught of aggressive guitars and crushing drums. With that being said, they masterfully weave sombre aesthetics within the chaos. Meaning that not only do they produce tracks of skilled aggression, but they make them intricate too. With the music generating a relentlessness, the lyrics offer a deeper level and overall, the blending of all elements creates a wonderfully engaging EP. Every bit as good as their previous work while still providing a fresh edge. The only criticism, as an EP, Born Alone, Die Alone is over far too quickly.
Rating: 9/10
Born Alone, Die Alone is set for release on July 10th via Trepanation Recordings.
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