Andrew Danso

The Yellow Signs “Ancient” showcases a band with a leaning toward the DM extremities of Oceano. What’s different in comparison are the more progressive, melodic and doom sections that unfortunately don’t quite make the focus of the record. The tracks themselves having the above in their undercurrent are excellently put together that tether the drum and riff work subliminally. The vocal is not acumen to The Yellow Signs work, but does shift into the crosshairs from time to time. It’s a disappointment mixed into the depths of the EP, that marginally hinder the experience and this is due to the performance on the mic not being quite as cemented as the other instrumentation. Think, Decapitated’s “Covan” with a minor throat infection, which makes his vocal even drier. The assisted high-pitch yelps are tasteful in liking but certainly work better when layered on top of the main vocal (it’s almost as if both are two halves of the same walnut).

The Yellow Signs biggest hurdle lays in their ability to produce material that’s more definitive than mashing their favourite influences together. The tracks on display through the EP are no-frills, hands-down worth departing every penny for; they just lack that memorabilia which help define the likes of Oceano and Decapitated. Even if “Ancient” isn’t that accomplished, it certainly reveals a band very much worth their salt.

7/10 Metal-Mayhem.co.uk