After one EP, one split 7″ and three full length albums, “The Endless Storm” is EXTIRPATION’s latest EP, released by the Mexican label Chaos Records. These Italians have been pretty busy since their inception back in 2009. And one thing that really shows on this recording is their proficiency as musicians. All these performances not only show their skills but also the right attitude and perspective applied to their style. EXTIRPATION has been tagged as a Black / Thrash Metal band, but personally, I didn’t find a lot of the latter here. At least not as prominent as on their previous material, which I checked out when doing my research on the band. For me, this EP has a bigger and pure dose of Black Metal with an unmistaken Scandinavian influence and a characteristic Italian twist. Absolute obscurity permeated with blast beats, eerie melodic riffs and a creepy, cold atmosphere combined with the occasional Thrash riffing and skank beats. I think EXTIRPATION falls in between the early works of NIFELHEIM and the dirty sound of AURA NOIR. From the first note, one can figure out where this EP is going. I do believe the highlight here is the song construction and composition. “The Endless Storm” goes from high speed frenzy parts to more melodic parts full of nuances and throwing in mid paced beats to keep the listener strapped in and wondering what’s coming. The production is more on the treble side, with razor sharp guitars and high pitched vocals with delay fx, supported by a round and punchy bass and great organic sounding drums. Riff after riff, guitarists Eros and Gabrielle blend tremolo picking savagery with harmonized segments. Also taking care of vocal duties (which fit orderly) Alessandro’s bass is notorious in the mix, which unites with Okrim’s amazingly tight drum parts to make the most out of these 20 minutes of music. Finally, the steady mix and the dynamic mastering allows EXTIRPATION’s brand of music to shine. And although these guys are not bringing anything new to the table, their conviction and compromise is to be commended. Solid EP that will please any self respected Extreme Metal listener and collector. Support the band at www.facebook.com/extirpationband and get this EP through their label www.facebook.com/chaosrecords