Extreme Prejudice

The Aussie extreme/progressive metal outfit's third full-length effort, Urn, continues in the vein of Ne Obliviscaris' 2014 breakout LP Citadel, delivering a lethal blend of blastbeats and soaring melodies that invoke Dimmu Borgir by way of Dream Theater. Anchored by Tim Charles' meticulous violin work and clarion clean vocals - co-founder Xenoyr handles all of the larynx-melting bellows - the six-track set is split into a pair of two-part epics and a couple of impressive standalones. "Urn" is the most brutal of the two narrative-driven bookends, with drummer Daniel Presland setting a relentless pace that's matched in both might and melody by guitarists Matt Klavins and Benjamin Baret. The atmosphere-driven "Eyrie" firmly ensconced in the middle of the 45-minute set provides a bit of sonic refuge - at least until around the five-minute mark…