EP Review | "Going Ghost" - Lil Kool Aid

Tracks:

Acid Downpour - (4:26)

Going Ghost - (3:25)

Dark Magician - (4:27)

Yamato - (3:09)

Spite - (4:18)

Genre: Progressive Metalcore/Deathcore

Review

Lil Kool Aid is a name you wouldn't expect for such a brutal sound, but I think that's what makes the name of this project so great. Lil Kool Aid is a one-man progressive metal project that blends the lines between deathcore and metalcore. The first song of the EP, "Acid Downpour" starts with ambient noise and a gentle synth that sounds like a xylophone. The track then explodes into growl/screamed vocals with lots of variation that displays the talent of the vocalist. The song goes into a thrash section that leads into a strong chorus where the ambiance and xylophone sounds come back along with powerful, high, singing vocals. "Acid Downpour" displays a unique sound with strong hooks, breakdowns, heavy instrumentation, and calming ambient noise.

"Going Ghost" is the next song on the EP and this one doesn't hold back at all. The 3:25 song starts with ferocious vocals, booming drums, and heavy-hitting guitar, before blasting off into an amazing breakdown with screeching guitar dissonance. The song uses bass-heavy chugging to really accentuate the heaviest parts of the song and add extra flair and drama to these points. The song ends with a reverbed scream that fades out.

The 3rd song, "Dark Magician" starts with a little bit of groove and seems to definitely have a djent style to it, with fast-paced and technical bass and guitar work.  This song uses orchestral strings and choir effects to create a melodic sound layered within the intense instrumentals and vocals. Next comes my favorite breakdown of the whole EP. The song introduces a funky almost ethnic-sounding synth that completely changes the feeling of the breakdown before cutting tempo again and changing to quick staccato notes on the strings.

"Yamato" is the shortest track of the EP, coming in at 3:09. This song starts with chugging that leads into an ominous lead guitar that really sets the mood. Lil Kool Aid then changes to a very fast thrash riff before aggressively changing back into the chugging in a way that has a quick shift of energy, making it extra dramatic. "Yamato" is an explosive track that finishes out with a breakdown.

The last song, "Spite" does not disappoint. Starting with rapid lead guitar the song leads into singing that is layered on top of chugging and screeching guitar. The change into extreme vocals is very intense and creates a tangible and dynamic change between the singing and screamed vocals. "Spite" has a bending guitar note leading into an epic breakdown that eventually speeds up before breaking down again in an even more intense fashion. This heads back into the singing that gradually fades out, ending the EP. Lil Kool Aid's debut album is an incredible display of the wide range of sounds that they are able to produce and leaves us excited to see what music comes next.

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