Finding out about the band He Didn’t proved a lot harder than I had at first anticipated, and the most I could come up with that they are from Oxford in the UK and that they describe themselves as “analogue anxiety converted into digital noise.”
Loop Ritual is a three track EP and was released on 07/04/2023.
The first thing that I noticed about this EP was the droning sound that is prevalent all the way through, which gives the EP a dark and gloomy vibe to it.
The first track on the EP, Heavy Elevation is an instrumental that seems to be all about the drone and nothing else. This kicks off the EP in such a way that the listener is not left in any doubt as to what this band is about.
Taking influences from the atmospheres of slow metal, 80’s post-punk and industrial metal, this is the band’s third release after King, released in 2021 and Detour, Earth released in 2022. The EP is quite experimental as it investigates loops and repetition, interspersed with heavy guitar riffs and melodies, creating a sound quite unlike anything I have ever heard before.
Lyrics feature on the EP, but not to any great extent and is it the music that is the main focus here. Electronic synths create an atmosphere that borders on black metal, although this would be immensely slowed down black metal, and the guitar riffs are taken directly from classic heavy metal. The bass lines are heavy and all this combined really makes for a great industrial sound.
I wasn’t sure what to think of this when the first track kicked in, and if you feel the same on the first listen, please stick with it as it really opens up into a great EP. And with the EP questioning “the depressing trend of people in powerful positions rarely being held accountable for their actions,” I am sure that this will appeal to a wide range of listeners, from fans of doom metal to black metal, to heavy metal and everything in between.
A really great EP, and one that has made me look for He Didn’t on various streaming services to see what else they have produced.
If you want the depths of your soul to be shaked, pounded and shattered by the heaviness and doominess that this EP brings, then please check it out! You will NIOT be disappointed!
Track Listing:
1) Heavy Elevation
2) Loop Ritual
3) Open Dust Loop
Photo Credits: he didnt 2023
This review is the property of The Metal Asylum
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