THE GRIND

Tampa-based From The Embrace aren't really a band that I would have ever stumbled upon have it not been for my involvement into the Prog Metal Team activity here on PA, but it's these moments that make it all the more rewarding to function as a collaborator! The Grind is the band's second EP featuring pretty much the sound that one would expect of a collective that plays Tech/Extreme Metal music, with the exception of this EP actually consisting of two and not six compositions.

The first five tracks create a cohesive Tech Metal mini epic called The Grind and it's quite a spectacle once the composition really gets going with the first tones of Discerning. Fabrication and the title track continue this roller-coaster ride and it's great fun hearing this young band's evolution throughout the performance. The Intro and Outro sections might seem unnecessary seeing that the entire composition only lasts for just a bit under 14 minutes, but that can be attributed to the band's inexperience at such an early phase of their carrier.

The second and final track on this EP is La Flama Blanca and it's a bit more traditional in both the performance and tone, even though there are quite a few really catchy guitar moments that I find very pleasing to my ears. I'd say that The Grind have definitely given me a pleasant teaser of the things to come and I'm interested to see how From The Embrace will progress their sound with the upcoming full length release!

**** star songs: Discerning (4:43) Fabrication (3:23) The Grind (4:03) La Flama Blanca (4:14)

*** star songs: Intro (0:36) Outro (1:02)