Victim of Fire – Suffer for Your Greed EP

Suffer for Your Greed is the latest EP from Denver’s hardcore powerhouse Victim of Fire, released in March 2022. This six-track record brings together re-recorded demo material and a trio of covers that pay homage to their influences, including Tragedy, Black Breath, and Anti-Cimex. Building on the noxious sound they demonstrated on their Dismantle EP in 2020, Victim of Fire continues to evolve their searing brand of metallic d-beat.

The EP kicks off with fresh recordings of “Coward” and “Innocent Eyes,” two standout tracks from their 2019 demo. The lyrics to these songs, penned by former vocalist Shane, still carry the venom and intensity they did back then. However, with guitarist Austin now taking over vocal duties and the addition of a second guitar, these new renditions feel fuller and more atmospheric. Austin’s harsh, black metal-tinged vocal delivery adds a whole new dimension to the band’s already abrasive sound, making the tracks hit even harder than before.

The second half of the EP presents more versatility through covers of “Beginning of the End” (Tragedy), “Razor to Oblivion” (Black Breath), and “Scandinavian Jawbreaker” (Anti-Cimex). These songs are a clear sign of the influences that shape Victim of Fire’s style, and while they stay true to the originals, the band injects their own ferocious energy into these classics.

While last year’s Disharmonist EP, a sprawling 10-minute one-song epic, was a bold and ambitious effort, Suffer for Your Greed brings Victim of Fire back to more familiar territory with compact, blistering tracks. The scathing metallic riffs, relentless d-beats, and blackened vocals on this record make it a brutal and engaging listen from start to finish. With this release, Victim of Fire have taken their already fierce neocrust sound to the next level with this release, combining precision and aggression in equal measure. If you haven’t checked them out yet, this EP is the perfect place to start.