Just as we were getting used to the nice sensation of post-metalcore/modern metal heroes Trivium on their current solid run, things came to a close - the announcement recently that talented drummer Alex Bent would be departing the band being far from a positive one. From 2017's The Sin and the Sentence to date Trivium haven't put out a poor album, quite different from their reputation in earlier years, and it seems churlish not to give at least a little of the credit to Bent. He's a genuinely skilled sticksman who will hopefully land somewhere productive and profitable, dealing with a prematurely born daughter lately and deserving of all our thoughts. Fortunately, this stopgap EP represents a solid little cap on his time with the band and shows the creative wells in Trivium are still flowing.

Opener Bury Me With My Screams is a solid thrasher, a touch of prog to the second half with plenty of instrumental show-offery from Bent more than enjoyable. There's a touch more groove metal but no less skill or aggression on the following title track, and although the inevitable catchy clean-sung chorus seems more than a little shoehorned in it's performed with the band's usual charm and skill. Closer Six Walls seems to be going fully prog, meanwhile, opening with acoustic guitar and an enjoyably atmospheric build-up... before shifting back to usual Trivium territory with a melodic metalcore beatdown!

Hey, at least it's good to hear the band trying to stretch their muscles, and although of course they have to produce the usual anthemic fare if this is the future of Trivium it sounds as solid as usual. You could probably complain that all of these songs are too long, the first two over five and Six Walls well over seven minutes! Yet judging this alongside the news of Bent's departure means a little indulgence is more than acceptable. And when the band finally produce a follow-up to 2021's In the Court of the Dragon it seems sensible to hope that they can update their sound to stay relevant, and that Bent's replacement can do half a good a job as the Californian.