An Anthology of Dead Ends is unfortunately, the swansong of noisecore legends, BOTCH. But the band goes out with a bang on this EP. For those who don’t know what they sound like, imagine a fusion of the heaviness and rawness of metal and hardcore combined with dissonant riffing and emotional atmospherics. These are the godfathers of the sound that bands like the DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN have made even more popular. The band’s forte is the ability to create dynamic, solid songs. Many of the riffs that make up each song are pretty inventive and are just put together really well. Nothing sounds forced and everything has a natural flow to it. Five of the six tracks on this EP explore the heavy side to BOTCH but they shift gears for the track, “Afghamistam.” The song is a delicate, quieter piece featuring clean vocals, piano, cello, didgeridoo, and a slight PINK FLOYD-type vibe. My only complaint about An Anthology of Dead Ends it’s just 21 minutes long. It totally leaves you wanting more. What a great way to end a career! (Hydra Head Industries)
