Review: Sorcia ‘Death By Design’ EP

I remember back in high school discovering new music (I was late to the party) and really getting into searching for the type of bands I enjoyed. We would share our finds and I specifically remember one friend saying ‘he didn’t like songs that were longer than three to four minutes because they should be split into multiple tracks’. We all know if that were true, doom metal wouldn’t exist, at the time I stupidly thought similar, but quickly grew out of it. My point for reminiscing is if I still felt that way, I would never have given Sorcia’s sixteen minute long track Death By Design a chance.

Sorcia ‘Death By Design’

They return after their Self-Titled debut and once again bring Tad Doyle along for the ride. I’m a big TAD fan so, having him produce this EP was an added bonus and it’ll be released on July 16th through Desert Records. It’s no coincidence that’s also my birthday, so it must be a present from the band and label founder Brad Frye! Thanks – haha.

The track starts off strong and in your face. Sorcia is showing off how much noise a trio can make. The thundering toms, piercing crashes of the cymbals, chugging riffs and gut-wrenching vocals all come flooding in after a fuzz filled bouncing bass riff starts things off right. The first seven minutes include variations of the descriptions above with seamless transitions into different riffs and melodies leaving no room for repetition or boredom.

The music then cuts out and allows some breathing room. Jessica Brasch takes over from here with a soothing bass line that still dooms. The low-end rumbling of the bass fills the air as Sorica calm things down allowing you to get lost in the music. My mind wanders off to One Of These Days by Pink Floyd as the tremolo like pick scratches enter and exit, further creating a spacey ambient environment. A total opposite of how the song began. Neal De Atley starts working on some otherworldly delayed guitar riffs, while drummer Bryson Marcey keeps things moving with ever changing and interesting drums beats.

heavy sludgy riffs and then stripping it down to a soulful acoustic jam…

The song continues to build over the next five minutes. The vocals start clean with the calmer music and as the song gravitates, the vocals gain that gut wrenching growl heard in the beginning. Death By Design concludes with the same fast paced, in your face harshness, that is still hard to believe it’s created by only three people.

Sorcia is not done however. Oh no, they have one more trick up their sleeve. To finish off the EP, they’ve included an acoustic rendition of their song Dusty. The dark acoustic intro sets the tone only to be complimented by both Neal and Jessica’s beautiful harmonies. The eight minute track remains similar throughout, in a pleasant way, allowing you to focus on the calming vibe and self-reflecting lyrics. I’m a huge fan of heavy bands stripping the music down to an acoustic setting and Sorcia nailed it.

Brad of Desert Records states Sorcia will be ‘your new favorite Seattle band’. That’s a bold statement to make with the likes of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, TAD, and countless other greats, but in just two songs, Sorcia shows they can stand with those greats by creating heavy sludgy riffs and then stripping it down to a soulful acoustic jam.

Label: Desert Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Scribed by: Josh Schneider