Besegra

While Brantford, ON's Besegra have been playing together since 2009, this EP is their first release. The time they've spent on the road has helped shape the group into a confident unit, though one that's not entirely aware of where its strengths lie. Opening track "Master of Attrition" is a furious, winding battery — that is, until halfway through the song when Besegra trip themselves up by playing at half the speed. The quieter passage sounds clumsy, with the lead guitars failing to connect with the powerful rhythm section. Elsewhere, the band attempt to marry their acrobatics with neo-classical metal, though it mostly sounds tacked on. There's no question Besegra are exceptionally talented musicians, but the band's future successes will be measured by how well they can integrate their varying influences.