Black Rabbit - Chronolysis

It has been a few years but Netherlands’ Black Rabbit are back at it with a bit of a short EP entitled “Chronolysis” full of five enticing tracks to enjoy until the next full length. Not much has changed for these guys since they were reviewed back in 2023 but they have acquired a new drummer since then, and the sound on this EP shows it. Before, they had that balance of Death Thrash like Vader or Legion of the Damned mixed with Groove Metal elements and some Industrial, but here it feels like they’ve expanded more. Leaving more of the Death Metal world behind and dipping more into the Groove/ Thrash side, it feels more like Memoriam meets Lamb of God tinged with Legion of the Damned and even moments of Exodus with a few surprises set in as well. Right from the single ‘Malevolent’ Glare’ one can tell the album is certainly more Groove Metal oriented with its nod to a Lamb of God tone from the riffs presented by Jelle Brekelmans and Hiddie Hofland. Maybe it is the mixing but the vocals from Nino Thomas seem a bit pushed back as the guitars and drums are very much in one’s face this time around, but not so much it feels like the vocals are fully buried, though their muffled tone somewhat gives the Death Metal side a bit more of an edge than it should. The drums are thick and less clicky thanks to new drummer Koen van der Voet and bring that Thrash energy to the song. Despite a somewhat slow to medium pace and build, the following ‘Paracusia’ is faster, more Death Thrash tinged and sounds a bit more like what most fans are used to from Black Rabbit up to this point.

‘Pity the Mind…’ is where the band starts to get a bit wordy in their titles, but deliver a non nonsense catchy head nodding piece loaded with blistering solos. If there’s one thing Black Rabbit has been consistent with in the past five years it is catchiness. Their hands loaded in the Groove Metal side of things bring plenty of anthemic chugs that combined with the spaced out bellowed vocals are enough to bring the energy to the crowd when/ if they perform live so this will certainly not bore any listener. They also have been known to throw random curveballs that can be hit or miss but usually hit, such as the clean vocals segments on ‘To Be Alive…’ which sets almost a Melodeath tone combined with the guitar notes before delving into the more Legion of the Damned paced riffs. It is melodic, energetic, and feels like Omnium Gatherum at times, lending another genre for the band to get into. The Groove chugs aren’t lost in the mix, but overall the sound is very enjoyable and takes things above the usual expectation for Death Thrash or Groove Thrash. The closing ‘Rancid Taste of Horror’ reins things in sound and title, not adding any surprises but delivers a thumping Belphegor styled track that has a good build before exploding into the more Lamb of God styled Groove parts. This is probably one of the fastest tracks here and will certainly get a pit going halfway through the track.

This EP is exciting. It’s not completely different but shows evolution and progression in the right direction. Black Rabbit should be proud of the work they’ve done and while some of the riffs might be a little repetitive here and there and somewhat generic, the solos keep things interesting along with varied pace, like the mix of slow build to fast to slower, standstill headbanging passages. Whether it is the churning groove of the opening track or the wind down almost downtempo crush of the closer, older fans of this band will not be disappointed and new fans will get excited as this EP is probably a great place to start with for anyone who wants to get into the spiral of fun that is Black Rabbit.

4 / 5 STARS