The idea of creating music together had always lingered in the minds of Jochen and David. Their shared love for heavy and thrash metal—infused with old-school melody and catchiness—sparked the vision for a new project. However, life’s demands kept it from taking flight.
Even as Jochen stayed busy with ENCHANTRESS and David with SHOCKER, the urge to craft something fresh never faded. In 2023, they finally took action, determined not to let their musical ideas slip away. David laid down guitar and bass tracks in his home studio, blending them seamlessly with programmed drums to build a solid foundation. From there, Jochen added his vocal fire, shaping raw riffs into fully realised songs.
Session after session, track after track, the pieces came together until they found themselves with a collection of completed songs. The next step was clear: bring them to life with professional mixing and mastering. And so, NEUROBLADE was born, with the debut EP Desert Claw marking its arrival.
For fans of Sanctuary, Judas Priest, Crimson Glory, and Silver Talon…
Review
Endless Slaughter comes chugging in menacingly on top of colossal bed of slow double kick and tom thunder. The vocal work is high pitched and pure magic but then the songs tone slightly turns. The riffs throughout are either punishing or slightly sinister in feel. And all of this is happening while double kick work and booming bass lines carry the track forward. In a way it feels like hungry monster with a foaming mouth staring you dead in the eyes. Theres ripping open chords and quick tapping ride patterns that help to either showcase the space of the song or pace. Certainly a great opener!
The second track on the EP is Avalon. It starts of with a gentle approach by bringing listeners the sounds of delicate acoustic guitar notes that drift off into the openness. Beautiful and softly sung vocals come in for a brief moment before we get some high pitched chants of the word Avalon. Fast and furious instrumentation kicks in to gear with quick picking guitars and bass latched to rumbling drum patterns. Notably the production feels more of a polished, modern production. The song sways between speeding moments and slower big choruses where there are huge chants. It gives listeners a perfect balance between tempos and dynamics creating a strong and interesting track.
The Eps title track is up next and it’s called Desert Claw. The pace to begin is a slow 4/4 beat with exotic melodies ringing out from the guitar work. I can imagine being somewhere like a hot desert country with a setting sun. However this feeling does not last to long as things pick up and the drums pound forward with huge, fat and deep rhythm riffs storming forward. When I saw that the band is for fans of Judas Priest I was like oh this could be good. But this track is less of that than the previous two. Unexpectedly apart from the normal vocal sounds and high pitched squeals you would expect there is also some shouted and aggressive vocals which I am not so sure about. And I mean as to weather or not they fit with the song. I like the song but it certainly had some expected sections that is for sure!
In The Darkness Of My Mind is up next and explodes with a powerful high pitched scream combined with a nice quick picked guitar riff. As we get into the meat of the song, the rhythm work feels like that classic metal stuff that many of us love! And now I am getting that Priest vibe which was hoping for in the previous song. This carries the song forward along with more kickass drumming before things break down to a slower pace. Acoustics come in, bass guitar lines shine through and the vocals continue to pack a punch. A brief solo section occurs which is nice to hear considering that there is not a lot of it on the album. But then we are thrown back into the metal madness! There are some tasty riffs which power the song forward with some absolute killer vocals screams! I can imagine this being one of those songs that would go down well at a show. There are some more slower moments where we heard previously before the track comes to its conclusion.
Left Behind if the final song on the ep and from the get go rips the ground apart like an earthquake with storming double kick and spicy guitar licks that are sure to delight listeners. This is another crushing song that keeps the pace and presents plenty of opportunties to headbang. Little licks weave in and out while rolling along on top of double kick which comes in copious amounts! There are a load high pitched screams of the words Left Behind which I love. A great little number to end the EP!
Conclusion
This EP is a relentless, high-energy journey through crushing riffs, soaring vocals, and dynamic shifts in pacing that keep the listener engaged from start to finish. From the menacing, monstrous energy of Endless Slaughter to the polished yet intense delivery of Avalon, the record balances power and melody masterfully. Desert Claw offers a unique blend of exotic melodies and pounding rhythms, though some vocal choices may divide listeners who are seeking pure heavy metal. In The Darkness Of My Mind truly embraces classic metal influences, delivering anthemic moments that feel tailor-made for a live setting. Finally, Left Behind closes things out with sheer force, packing in relentless drumming and fiery guitar work to leave a lasting impact. Overall, this EP is a fierce and thrilling ride that should resonate with fans of high-octane metal.
TheNwothm Score: 8/10
Links
Bandcamp: https://neuroblade.bandcamp.com/
The Nwothm 
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