THIS WILL DESTROY YOU & LYMBYC SYSTYM: FIELD STUDIES

This split EP features two tracks by the excellent post rock band "This Will Destroy You" and three from another Texan post rock band, not quite as well-known, called "Lymbyc Systym". I have been a fan of most of TWDY's style of post rock as they have always used dynamics quite well and been smart on their use of melody, noise and ambience. This particular collection, released in 2008, is a bit sketchy, but not a write off either. The EP starts with the one epic track which clocks in at over 11 minutes. This and the 2nd track are the TWDY tracks. "Brutalism & The Worship of the Machine" starts off surprisingly heavy and loud, but it does eventually calm down some and then continues with a decent variation of dynamic changes through its long run time. The music has a sort of "garage" imperfectness to it, which is okay, especially for the bleak sense that it conveys. The 2nd track "Freedom Blade" is much shorter and also a bit less harsh, but it is still your great, average sound. Neither one of these tracks stand out like the songs on the band's full albums, but they are also nice to listen to nevertheless.

The last three tracks are from Lymbyc Systym and they are all around the 4 minute mark. This band's style is a bit simpler sounding with a more extensive use of electronics, but still enough guitar to keep a slightly heavy edge. These tracks fit well with TWDY's tracks, but again, there is nothing that stands out too much here. Yes, they are good enough to listen to, but nothing to get excited about either. This is one of those EPs that, if you see it, by all means pick it up, but, unless you are a die-hard fan or completionist, there is no reason to search it out. We'll call it an average 3-star EP.