Review by HanSathanas on August 10, 2026.

This EP is perhaps the band's first proper release to date. Previous materials generally ranged from split albums to self-released demos. Thanks to the collaboration with Malaysian label SMIXX, fans in Southeast Asia finally have the chance to grab this mini-CD. Unfortunately, due to limited budget, the band had no choice but to keep the copies below 60 worldwide. Despite the latter, it is considered quite an achievement for any local band, especially those who are dwelling deep in the underground to have released any material at all due to the almost non-existent music ecosystem in this country. What little known habitat is already on the verge of extinction due to government's ongoing witch hunt on all things rock and metal.

With such bleak prospect in mind, this EP seems to capture the general feelings of despair through the interwoven instrumental "Azrael". If you are familiar with any of the works crafted by Mr. Izard, he has an astute penchant for incorporating indescribable feelings, mostly negative ones but not necessarily depressive in nature, into his music without coming off as emo or Kurt Cobain-esque. As the primary songwriter of the band, he helps fellow band mates in realizing his visions of what darkness, longing and futility would sound like if they were put on tape. His perceptive acumen on differentiating the interplay of aggression and melody is often translated to fast-pummeling section, usually driven by intense blast beats for as much as the drummer can withstand, in this case good old Mr. Aslan, while the rest of the stringed instruments are buzzing with distorted glory. "Infamy" has a healthy dose of these exchanges, with at least three different variations of fast, rhythmic chugging spread across the verse and chorus parts. The band shifted the tone briefly after the first half of the song before moderately dialing down the pace comes second part, gaining traction once again like a gale picking up velocity as it shreds an entire town in a blender of brute force all the while hammering and pulling off the strings in gorgeous, synthesized harmony.

The title track shows Shadowmirth keeping it clean and sober on the opening, using a triplet of undistorted chords not unlike the clean, mellow electric guitar in the middle of "Rainroom". For sure, such trace element of such an influence wouldn't feel out of place from the band's long list of inspiration that made up no small part of Shadowmirth ancient history. After all, by the time you've listened to the third track on this EP, you would definitely be able to identify what I am trying to say here. While the band has embraced the predictability of heightened fury following an episode of melancholic bliss, here the song structure receives more than just appraisal for its darkening silhouette – it ends with the shadow cast over you, shielding what little blinding ray of light might pierce through the optimistic sun above.

Not to worry though, "Blacksun" will spread the darkness beyond any shadow of doubt. I consider the latter as the band's signature song for some reason. I don't know if the band feel differently about my view. Starting no less with a triplet of clean electric guitar, the song receives yet another one of the band's signature furors on the main verse area before undressing the indignation to reveal a Maiden-inspired melody after each verse backed by intense yet mid-paced tempo at which two different rhythms are played by each guitarist. The exchange of lead guitars between Adukasuria and Izard is also perhaps the best and most enjoyable here compared to the rest of the songs put together. Both of them are super capable guitarists with an ear for melodious hooks. Here, each delivers only the best performance with such transparency that you can hear every note being hit amidst the driving riff and reverb. It is also this song where the band really gels together as musicians, and they seem to enjoy the songwriting process. A little surprise at the end of the song with an added horn-like synth, which is not found in any other version of "Blacksun" that I've heard from their split albums. So far, no local bands ever come close in creating what Shadowmirth has formulated here despite its perceived simplicity. Sometimes, all you need is just a good old composition that works without unnecessary shenanigans or pretentiousness – and that is exactly what the band has delivered with this song.

"Alfarezel" provides another respite from all the rollercoaster of emotions. Composed by a person named Hafiz, I am not quite sure if he is a session member or friend of the band because there is also a guy with the name Hafiz Halim who used to fill in the slot as live guitarist for Draconaeon. Nevertheless, the keys he has helped assembled for this interlude is a network of halcyon sedatives. However, my brain being the scumbag that it is can't help but tell me that the closing tunes are reminiscent of Big Big World by Emilia. Once I've realized that, I can't un-hear it. Damn you, brain.

Three additional songs completed the track list of this EP. Desolate contains the band's scathing trademark of asperous beatings welded to a steel plate of embossed harmony. Mid-paced to doom-inspired tempo, the song has a lot going for it that keeps things interesting. Blasting through with abandon while Sam's bassline tingles throughout, this is one of their more diverse compositions so far, which saw Izard's tearful dueling clean singing making a comeback toward the end, reciting the song title with such grace that it is surprisingly moving for me. This is perhaps a nod to Izard's glory days in his greatest project Draconaeon whose name I swear up and down to be the only best melodic black death metal this country has ever witnessed (well, as a matter of fact, it was about the only one). With the clean singing making a cameo, it truly makes me wonder if Izard and the band would ever consider making that type of swansong a permanent fixture of their songwriting in the future. Truth be told, that's the kind of clean singing that perfectly suited the band's music and bro Izard is such a good singer if he tries. His works in the last Draconaeon release "Shades of Sorrow" and the unreleased full length were rich in feelings and emotions found nowhere else in any other metal band in this country.

A different version of "Endless" is available here as the second last track. Admittedly, the iteration presented on this disc sounds a bit darker than any other version that precedes it. The songwriting follows pretty much similar formula. Some of the riffs toward the end are reminiscent of those written by Burzum but I can't exactly put my finger on which song it may have originated from. Or I could be wrong altogether. There are spoken words on here as well that harken back to the likes of Moonspell and Triarchy of the Lost Lovers. Closing the EP is a new track called "Anubis" which opens up with thrash-like chugging before launching with old school death metal intensity while the base riffs are chugged with up-tempo gallops. Perhaps the fastest song on the entire release due to its pronounced blast beats and hi-hats, the composition is yet again shifted, but this time it incorporates Middle Eastern tune in between the furious verses. Such a style is unmistakably reminiscent of Jihad that was recorded by Draconaeon years prior. This is another surprising element that makes this mini album worthy of repeated listening, and I wasn't really expecting Mr. Izard to revisit the idea to diversify the arrangement. The guitar playing is also tighter here as well, just like the drums. Sam also helps in creating a depth of perception with his bass particularly during the Middle Eastern passage, complimenting the already resonant top strings of the rhythm guitars. However, I can't help but feel that the drums are programmed for some reason. I don't know, it's not like I have any issue of how the drums are supposedly being played – just the overall sound comes off as quite mechanistic. Then again, it might just be the case that bro Aslan has stepped up his game on this track, showing off his chops the proper way now. Either way, the drum track on this song is good for anyone to practice with if you are just getting started in metal drumming, and the third transition to the galloping double bass recalls the likes of "The Wings of the Hydra" and the legendary Crystal Mountain - the style which is executed just fine on this song.

The production quality varies between the first five tracks and the remaining three. This is obviously due to the fact that the last three songs were from different recording sessions. For the main part of the disc, all songs have cold, darker feel to them. Mr. Aslan's blast beats became the unfortunate victims of the final mix. While the entire soundscape is rich in bass and mid gain, the snare drum rarely cuts above the wall of guitars. To make matters worse, the decaying high frequency from the hi-hats seemed to contribute to the clipping as it bleeds into the lower threshold, especially during fast, blast-beat driven passages. While the darkening atmosphere is intentional, the drums could have used a little less of the doom and gloom. Not to mention that the overall execution lacks synchronicity in terms of uniformed performance. However, these little flaws bring out the soul of each song. In this day and age where algorithm can easily take over editing works and patch it up like nobody's business means that eventually, people might as well start looking for music that is done with honesty and imperfection – because that's what it takes for being human. Take for example the awkward fills in the alternate version of "Endless" which is an attempt to incorporate trip-hop beats into the slower section. At times, a snare can be heard missing a beat toward the end as well. Some improvisation is also observed particularly along sections that initially require extensive blast beats, turning into up-tempo D-beat to compensate for the apparent physical strain from rolling the snare for an extended period of time.

Truth be told, the aforementioned gaps did not take away the enjoyment from listening to this CD in its rawest form. One thing that I have also noticed is how Izard's vocals evolved over time despite the added effects. His shrieks resemble that of Sébastien Robitaille of Sorcier des Glaces, among others, and they seem to fit the music pretty well – often delivered full on with passion. Essentially, with further refinement in their musicianship, Shadowmirth could further cement their position as leaders in the local underground scene not just by reputation alone or seniority alone, but due to the amount of thoughtfulness poured into the making of the music. Sure. What you will hear on this EP has been done to death elsewhere, which is more or less similar to what I have described in my previous review for Herriot. However, to us Bruneians, having this type of music being put on a disc is such a big deal because the struggle is real here; theocratic cretin continues to subjugate the brainwashed majority who readily worshipped those same people who squandered off more than half of the country's wealth – but ended up blaming the rest of us for being financially inept. Now, the same people relaunched their misplaced "jihad" against those who listen and play metal or rock music while the nation's economy continues to trickle down the drain. It's a slow, painful death that the future generations of this country will have to endure thanks to the never-ending cult of personality that has been promulgated by the ruling philosophy. Hence, having local metal bands putting out their music on CD truly means a lot. It shows that metal bands do exist in Brunei, and Shadowmirth is one of them. It signals resilience and determination vis-à-vis iron fist oppression – a symbol of resistance against the decrepit establishment that refuses to let go of its stranglehold on people's throat in the name of faith and tradition. Although this release is nowhere near anything political, but to those who are aware of what's been going on in the country, it serves as a statement that metal is here to stay for as long as we live, and no foolish law can take it away from us.

My copy of this disc is the fifteenth and it comes with stickers, a small ID-size biography of the band member so different people will have random selection. Mine has bro Izard on the card. Oh, there is also a cute button pin badge bearing the band's logo. Artwork within the booklet is quite well done, featuring sepia-toned landscape of God-knows-where the photos were taken from. I see it as a surviving thematic continuation from "Shades Of Sorrow" EP. Images of the desolate scenery invoke both solace and dread at the same time. It only makes sense to use such collage of visual representations due to the nature of music the band has written so far. Perhaps it would be great to see a visualizer or two with animated rainfall on the cover art while a song is playing in the background. I'm sure Sam is the more tech savvy guy among the band so it would probably be up his alley to create something like that for promotional purposes.

I am willing to tolerate the flaws here as they make for integral part of the listening experience. After all, most of the gaps are not too critical enough to devolve into distraction. Music is essentially imbued with sorrow and despair but delivered with enough angst to keep things interesting thanks to the controlled melody that is mostly utilized at the right moment. This is such a historical release domestically and I truly hope that Shadowmirth will continue to make more music and more releases in the not-so-distant future. If you demand computer-precision tightness and technical proficiency in your metal with spiderweb-like polyrhythm every odd bar, or riff that changes every second – look away; this disc is not for you. However, I am not asking you to lower your standard either – this EP is for those who are willing to keep an open mind, to look beyond the mistakes that, for the most part, are unintentional. Listening to this disc may require a little bit of context as I have explained in the previous paragraphs. Personally, this EP just made my day, and it can't get any better than this.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10