“Ex-Trivium drummer” sounds a lot better than it used, probably because Trivium as a whole are better than they were say, ten years ago. It’s a bit of a moot point when discussing the 2013 departure of drummer Nick Augusto, who was apparently sacked mid-tour. Ouch. Augusto has since regrouped with an unlikely bunch of musicians, most notably the Norwegian pair of vocalist/bassist Tommy Hjelm (Insense, Beaten to Death) and guitarist Martin Rygge (also of Insense and Beaten to Death). Ace guitarist Christopher Cussell rounds out the initial incarnation of Corrosion.
The three-song, self-titled EP is total primer territory. It’s actually a pretty smart decision considering the drop in attention spans and glut of releases metal has to contend with every month, so Corrosion makes the best use possible of the time they afforded themselves. They’re a hard group to pin down. Cussell’s riff ideas are certainly left-of-center, hovering around progressive richness and Scandinavian sideways-ness, while Hjelm’s sing-scream vocals remain a strong point, just like they are in his two other bands. Therefore, the thrash-thrust of “You Want This” has plenty of merit, as does “Machine Says No,” which provides what is perhaps the best glimpse of what the band could do with another year or two under its belt.
With just enough to bite off and chew, Corrosion has the dual assistance of Augusto’s name-recognition and Hjelm/Rygge underground cred to truly get this thing off the ground. May they do so with a proper full length.