Originally known as The Red Letter, FL's Imperial have graduated to bigger and better things with their latest moniker as Pluto Records have seen fit to release this, their Jeremy Staska (Poison The Well, Nonpoint) produced EP.

Loaded with meaty screams, screeching snarls and a rather eccentric arsenal of metalcore posturing, "This Grave Is My Poem" is a fierce listen. Dual guitar attacks intertwine together under dueling vocals that eschew most of their emo tendencies in favor of bellowing growls and death-styled exorcisms. With a melting pot approach taken that expounds chaotic brutality, the music provides enough blistering aggression to whip pretty much any moshpit into a frenzy. Tracks like "Washed Upon A Nameless Shore" do see some disparate instrumentation and vaguely melodic vocals, but the overall feel here is that of sonic experimentation thrown into a blender.

In turn there are chunks of brilliance left to float around in a veritable sea of metalcore slurry that lacks any distinct flavor or taste. The group are talented, but by giving their differential musical elements a 10-15 second stay in the spotlight before moving on their material soon becomes a collection of part changes, rather than the parts themselves. Points are given for including a few discombobulated moments of melody and a relentlessly high level of heaviness throughout. But it's all just far too disorganized and ultimately standard-fare to be memorable for more than the time it takes to listen to it.