Look at the cover of DENIAL OF LIFE’s Witness The Power EP and can someone please tell me why basically a mash-up of two of the most recognizable album covers of one of the most recognizable bands in the history of metal seemed like a great idea? And thus, armed (or footed) with monkey boots and a length of chain, did I step boldly forward to wage unholy war against such flagrant abuse of…wait, I never really even liked SLAYER that much anyway, and – aside from the album after Those Two, for all I know or care, they more or less broke up after Decade Of Aggression. But I digress…

Brenna’s recognizable high-pitched call to arms wakes the troops to ‘Witness The Power’, which deftly sidesteps the “intro” trap, simply by being over two minutes long, Where bands like DEAD HEAT are stomping their way into more metal territory, fellow Portlandites (Portlandians?) are still hip deep in their hardcore roots, as evidenced by ‘God’s Favorite (Slave To The Blade)’. Kudos to stringsmen Logan and Dante, for their tone on ‘Circle The Drain’ – and, to be fair, the whole EP – is sharp, cutting without being too surgical, the Bernard / Cody rhythm section also bringing this song in particular a heft ANTHRAX only dreamt of until The Sound Of White Noise.

And it’s then that I realize (Yeah, it took me waaay longer than it should’ve), that Brenna’s yelps and snarls make me imagine the life John Connelly and OVERKILL’s Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth might’ve had had their paths led them into (even) more punk than their thrash allowed. There’s always been a kinship between those genres, so not too far a stretch. ‘Sword Of Fire’, especially burns with the passion of a Game Over, the hard-charging attack of Feel The Fire’s ‘Kill At Command’.

I’ll admit to being a bit concerned at the title ‘Love Sting’, even more so when the tune began, PTSD memories of DEF LEPPARD’s ‘Love Bites’ causing nervous tics, but once the song got down to business, it blew my mind that such a band as DENIAL OF LIFE had it in them to craft an original tune that wouldn’t have been far away from home in late ‘80s Headbanger’s Ball rotation. Returning to the pit, ‘Not The One’ puts a stamp on Witness The Power, which does exactly what an EP should by giving us an ear to what a band’s been up to of late, but said band a chance to stretch its sonic legs.
Review By: Lord Randall

DENIAL OF LIFE
Witness The Power [EP]
Creator-Destructor Records