J-Man With their debut album, American extreme metal act Elitist proves right off the bat that they mean business. And by business, I mean absolutely filthy, sludgy, and pissed off old school death metal. Fear in a Handful of Dust is thirty-four minutes of feedback-laden, angst-ridden extreme metal that should undoubtedly satisfy anybody with a craving for hardcore-infused death metal. Elitist's brand of sludgy death metal may not rub off as particularly memorable in the eyes of this reviewer, but the sheer amount of energy shown on this debut can only promise for better things to come.

While not all that groundbreaking in the grand scheme of things, Fear in a Handful of Dust is still actually a pretty unique debut effort. Elitist's blend of death metal, hardcore punk, sludge metal, grindcore, and doom metal definitely isn't something you hear every day, and I have a great appreciation for bands like this who show such a level of ambition this early on in their careers. Fear in a Handful of Dust is not flawless, though, and it's biggest letdown is unfortunately in the songwriting department. Elitist simply haven't yet developed the skills to write memorable and compelling riffs, but I can only hope that it's something that will come in time.

Fear in a Handful of Dust is an ambitious debut to be sure, but it lacks enough memorable compositions to be worth more than a passive recommendation from me. Still, those who enjoy hardcore-influenced death metal with a strong emphasis on raw production qualities and sludgy atmospheres should plenty to love here. I'd say 3 stars are well-deserved for this debut, and I'll be keeping an eye on this promising young act in the coming years.

Time Signature Tower of metal...

Genre: sludgy death metal

Earlier this year, Season of Mist signed American underground act Elitist, and now they're ready with their debut album, and I must say, signing this band was a good move by Season of Mist. Firstly, it adds further variation to Season of Mist's already impressive roster of bands, and, secondly, Elitist's brand of metal is quite something.

This is dirty, raw and sludgy death metal with growled vocals and the occasional burst into a blast beat passage. And as if that is not enough, Elitist jump into uptempo D-beating hardcore and more old school thrashing pieces every now and then, which creates a nice contrast with the otherwise heavy and sludgy riffage. The riffage, and the music in general, is not especially technical, but there is a certain heavy energy to it which is bound to make you mosh around and headbang like a madman.

The production is extremely raw, but not unbearable, and the dirty guitar distortion - needless to say - complements the raw and heavy music extremely well. There is a certain amount of noise in the production, but that is intentional, I think, and only enhances the listening experience.

Recommended to fans of old school death metal and sludge metal alike. If you like your music dirty and heavy, check out "Fear in a Handful of Dust".