Review by Jason Norwood
Rating: ****
Standout track: Garden of Stones
One of the amazing things about this band is their persistance--any death metal band would have to be given an award for forming in Iraq under the Hussein regime, surviving death threats from "Islamic elements", and escaping to the United States (the journey of which was documented in "Heavy Metal in Baghdad.".
I admit I've never been a massive fan of the death metal genre, but more so because I've only really been exposed to the cliches. "Only The Dead See The End Of The War" manages to transcend this stigma with a range of vocal styles, amazing and complex guitar work, and lyrics that probably hold more meaning than I've ever heard.
The production is fairly typical, but within that framework they push the boundaries, making this an enjoyable, albeit too short, listen. It's been said that their music has become more intense since the American invasion. Let's hope that it doesn't take the same length of time for Acrassicauda to come up with a full length album as it did for this EP.