Insurgent - Cutthroat Tunes EP (2007)

It seems to be a common thing for unsigned bands to produce little EPs, some with as few as 2 songs on them. I understand the logic behind it, who wants to finance their own full-length albums when a record company will do it for you once you get their attention with a couple of tracks first, right? I hate to say it guys, but 90% of albums made are going to get no interest from labels, and 99.9% will get no attention from major labels. So you end up with nothing to show for your years in a band and all that hard work but 3 or 4 songs on a cheap CD, and that is the sum total of your legacy.
It hardly seems worth the effort.


Insurgent's "Cutthroat Tunes" has only 3 studio tracks and a live recording. Reviewing EPs of this nature annoys me, and so we are starting off on the wrong foot already.

The first thing that I noticed when I put this CD in the drive was the inescapably thin and trebly mix, it is pretty bad and direly needs re-mixing and re-mastering, because I can hear almost no bass guitars whatsoever. After I cranked up the bass the mix suddenly became a lot more coherant, and it became evident to me that despite the sound issues, the material itself is really quite good. It reminds me in equal parts Napalm Death and Bleeding Through, although the influences are far wider ranging than that. With only three studio tracks on it there is not enough there to really get a feel for the depth of material Insurgent could bring to bear on a full-length recording, but there are definately some good things going on here. There is a very good understanding going on between the twin guitars of Chris and Tim and Tommy on the drums, there is a good level of individual contribution going on here, a true equal sharing of the job at hand. The drums and guitars work around each other really nicely, the drums backing off when the guitars feel the need to really cut loose and vice versa. Given a good mix - and about 7 more songs - this could actually be a pretty kick arse CD.

The guitar sound is way too loud in the mix for my tastes, making it both the main culprit in the mix dramas and the showpiece of the band, the work on both sets of strings is always positive and occasionally really flash. There are fast sections, harmonised guitar leads, sweeps and general over-the-top exuberant metal riffing, all with this razor sharp and almost grindcore guitar tone that cuts through the mix like a knife though cookie dough. But it is the fat groove that keeps floatng up through the songs that really makes them cook, it reminds me of Demented Ted more than anyone else and this groove works to inseminate the songs with an energy and vibe that I found rather compelling.

Can't hear much in the way of individual bass moments, but that isn't a bad thing, it means it is tight as hell with the Guitars i suppose. Vocally, there seems to be only one man with a microphone in his possession and he delivers a tight and rhythmic mid to low snarl just a few shades cleaner than a death metal growl. This guy - I forget his name - has a good natural vocal tone that compliments the rest of the instrumentation really well. Whether it is an overdub or there actually is another working throat in the band I can't say, but the last passages of Track 2 "Entity" have a combination of the usual vocals roar and a near Black Metal shriek running together, it is effective mainly because it is unexpected. Despite the fact that I really like the sound and tone of the vocals, it feels to me that this is probably the best vocal work on the EP and overall the vovals are not used anywhere near as often or as creatively as they could be. Not a bad effort though.

Such a short EP means there is little on Insurgent's "Cutthroat Tunes" to review. Something a bit longer next time boys, but from what I can tell its not a bad start at all.

Review by Jez.