EP Review: Relic – Crown Of Flies (Self Released)

Hailing from Milwaukee, Relic are a new blackened death metal band set to release their debut EP, Crown of Flies on the 3rd of April.

Featuring veterans of the Milwaukee metal scene, the band draws on a wealth of experience from past projects, bringing together musicians with a history of creating tight, focused, and uncompromising extreme metal. Those projects include Jungle Rot, Emblazoned, Micawber, Decrescent, A Night At The Chalet, and Slam Pig.

Crown of Flies marks their first recorded output, delivering a short but pointed introduction to their sound. Rooted in dissonant death metal and driven by the chaotic speed of black metal, the EP leans into a 90s-inspired style while keeping its approach stripped back and direct, avoiding gimmicks in favour of a more traditional, aggressive delivery.

Relic is Kevin Forsythe on guitar and bass, Jeff Plewa on vocals, Alex “Pulverizer” Pulvermacher on drums and Vinny Alvarez on guitars.

With four tracks and just under ten minutes of total runtime, Relic aren’t here to mess about. Starting with The Void Between Gods, the EP leans heavily into the blackened side of their sound, with snarling vocals setting the tone. As the riffs and drums take over, there’s weight and a touch of catchiness, but that quickly gives way to blistering speed and intensity, gradually evolving into a full-on death metal assault. The riffs remain sharp, the drums relentless, and the vocals venomous—a statement track that arrives, kicks your ass, and leaves.

Moving on, Filth of Rebirth keeps the pace and intensity high, but the added screaming leads bring a slightly more devilish atmosphere, effectively breaking up the chaotic onslaught of riffs, drums, and vocals. The vocals stand out here, powerful while shifting tone regularly, straddling the extreme edge of blackened death metal. Meanwhile, a chunky switch-up near the end provides a brief moment of respite, giving the listener a chance to catch their breath before the next onslaught.

Then, Scavenger’s Daughter wastes no time in returning to the attack, serving up crunchy, tight, and focused metal. Here, a slight easing of the pace allows a touch of groove to come through in the drums and riffs, but the brutality never lets up. Doubling harsh vocals add extra weight, while an instrumental section led by soaring lead guitar further adds atmosphere and depth to an already intense track.

Closing with Iron Sacrament, Relic maintain their no-nonsense, no-frills approach. There are no surprises—no ballads, no experiments—just blackened death metal at its most intense, with massive riffs, punishing drums, and throat-ripping vocals. The songs flow naturally, never overstaying their welcome, and keep the listener engaged throughout.

Relic are clearly made up of experienced artists, and it shows in Crown of Flies. While this isn’t breaking new ground in the blackened death metal space, it’s a welcome release: four brutal, well-written tracks that hit hard, flow well, and demand headbanging. Not every band needs to reinvent the wheel; sometimes, you just want quality heavy music to lose yourself in—and Crown of Flies delivers exactly that.

Preorder Crown of Flies, from Relic, on Bandcamp, here.

Track Listing

1. The Void Between Gods
2. Filth Of Rebirth
3. Scavengers Daughter
4. Iron Sacrament

Relic Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Ampwall | Apple Music | Spotify