National Sunday Law’s debut was a kaleidoscopic mix of heavy sludge metal and mellow keyboard atmospherics. The band’s latest EP, mysteriously titled The Fifth Ape, largely continues in this style, but the new material is noticeably heavier, often resembling Remission-era Mastodon or fellow Los Angeles heavyweights Intronaut. Closer ‘The Last Flight Of The Dodo Bird’ and third track ‘The Darwinian Heart of Darkness’ in particular feature a bludgeoning, unrelenting assault of metallic aggression. While National Sunday Law certainly threw some bashing, heavy riffs onto their debut, on The Fifth Ape they apparently decided to cram as much brutality as possible into the EP’s 18 minutes as possible.

More than any of the aforementioned bands though, these Californians still bear a striking similarity to German progressive sludge outfit Woburn House. Perhaps it’s the slightly dulled production, the plodding, open-string riffs, or the progressive, explorative songwriting. Whatever it is, both bands are still managing to write interesting heavy music while distinguishing themselves from the majority of other sludge bands out there. National Sunday Law’s EP is further proof that these guys are supremely talented and have a lot of good music left to share with the world.

Unfortunately, this EP may turn out to be the last few songs under the National Sunday Law banner, as the members have announced that they are calling it quits. Fans can take some comfort in the fact that these guys already have a new project with Intronaut frontman Sacha Dunable called Graviton, and should be inflicting their debut on an unsuspecting public some time this year.

» Download The Fifth Ape for free