UMUR "Chaos in Hell" is an EP release by US, Tampa, Florida based death metal act Diabolic. The EP was independently released in October 2007 and was primarily created to shop for a new label to release the fifth Diabolic album. The band has already tried the same about a year earlier with the release of the "Possessed by Death" EP from December 2006, but apparently didn´t succeed in their mission at that point. In 2008 the material from both EPs were compiled on the "Chaos in Hell / Possessed by Death" compilation album.

Diabolic started out pretty promising near the end of the last millennium, and released three very solid Morbid Angel influenced death metal albums, before lineup and label problems meant that three members of the band left to form Unholy Ghost (and released the "Torrential Reign" album in 2004), while sole remaining member guitarist Brian Malone continued Diabolic with a new lineup and released the fourth Diabolic album "Infinity Through Purification" in 2003. Malone opted to discontinue Diabolic in 2004 though, and as Unholy Ghost also disbanded a year later in 2005, drummer Aantar Coates and guitarist Kelly McLauchlin saw a chance to revive the Diabolic name. On "Possessed by Death (2006)" the lineup was completed by R.J. Reinagle (guitars) and Jesse Jolly (vocals/bass) (whom Coates had worked with on the shortlived Blastmasters projekt), but on "Chaos in Hell" the lineup has changed again and now consists of drummer Aantar Coates, guitarist R.J. Reinagle and lead vocalist/bassist Paul Ouellette. The latter is the original lead vocalist/bassist of both Diabolic and Unholy Ghost.

The material on "Chaos in Hell" pretty much continue the brutal and technically well played death metal style of the preceding "Possessed by Death (2006)" EP. Ouellette is a slightly more diverse death metal growler than Jolly, although both are great frontmen. The tracks are predominantly fast-paced, brutal, and aggressive, but Diabolic are also able to deliver some brutal mid-paced sections. The loss of McLauchlin is unfortunate as he is a skilled lead guitarist, and his solos are missed on this release.

"Chaos in Hell" features a slightly less interesting production job compared to the production on "Possessed by Death (2006)" and it´s a shame, as it ultimately also means a slightly lower rating from me. The fact that the tracks on the EP are also very short (none exceed the 3 minutes mark) make them sound a little rushed too, and I much prefer the material from the preceding EP. Still a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating isn´t all wrong.