Newcomer thrashers Centripetal Force offer their first EP to the public as something influenced by early technical/progressive thrash, with a whopping dose of early Mekong Delta thrown in. It's an interesting concept, as those bands, stepping on the razor edge of so many burgeoning genres, were often misunderstood in their time and overwhelmingly praised in hindsight. Eidetic clearly has something here; their first three songs still have a lot of Mekong Delta worship in them, but it's clear that this band is turning into something different quickly.

The crazily angled riffs on display here are also reminiscent of Anacrusis, especially on Centripetal Force, but the song structures are not as tight, with furious, heavily-compressed guitar riffs colliding atonally with vocalist John Knight's clean tenor. Unlike some of the other old-time thrash/prog greats, the vocals are kept clean without any screams or growls, and aren't always the most expressive within the narrow lines they've set for themselves. The real centerpiece consist of the guitar's interactions with the drum kit, which change time signatures without warning; tight, choppy thrash riffing flips over to relaxed jamming at a moment's notice.

Nobody can say this isn't a creative outfit. Eidetic Memory is my favorite due to the science-fictiony instrumental breaks, but the mindbending work shown off here is proof positive that we have some talent here. If they can solidify the raw musicianship here in future albums, this will be a force to be reckoned with.

Bandcamp: https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/eidetic.