It may have taken some line-up changes and a label switch, but Ventura's Contra have finally been able to release their new EP "This Machine Kills". A dense offering of slick modern metalcore produced by Logan Mader of Soulfly/Machine Head fame; the material they have carved out upon it is both bruising and merciless, offering up salvos of devastation and violence at nearly every turn.

While the fundamentals of the bands sound recall that of groups like Unearth, As I Lay Dying and Chimaira, there is a very straight forward sense of brutality here that keeps the intensity flowing. Throaty bellows mesh with detuned chugging riffs and whirring squeals. Thick plodding low end entangles a concise double-kick driven drumming performance as dialogue samples and the occasional electronic passage offer fleeting moments of respite.

On a technical level the band is entirely competent, and with shrewd production, their material manages to deliver quite a wallop. The downside of this is that little is left to surprise and aside from a few thundering bass drops and electronic touches, this is pretty much standard metalcore. It has all the rage and fervence, but it doesn't necessarily have the unique identity to clearly stand out. Ultimately, this machine does kill, but unfortunately not with enough finesse to give it the serial killer-like status needed to quickly ascend through the ranks.