VERSIFIST "Cipher" 7"EP

Hailing from the isolated realm of Nova Scotia, Canada, Versifist here offer two swift and scabrous six-minute attacks of nuanced, deathened black metal. On the A-side of Cipher is the aptly titled "Bring Back the Dark," where the power-trio become a force of self-propulsion, blasting forward with iron-fisted energy before settling into a tense 'n' sustained down-tempo toward song's end. On the B-side, "...In Tongues" goes the reverse route, starting delicately and ominously before patiently building back into that iron-fisted energy, this time applying a frozen melodicism atop. Together, with a production that's clear 'n' cutting whilst retaining the requisite scuzziness, Cipher is a quick but ultimately satisfying introduction to Versifist, tiding over the legions until the band's imminent debut album