Vereor Deus, Non Dogma

Vereor Deus, Non Dogma

The Ohio quartet Mayfly revive ‘90s-style nü-metal with a 21st-century twist on their debut EP for the small but feisty Voluminous label. The band’s faith is as solid as their musical chops. Vereor Deus, Non Dogma (Latin for “Fear God, Not Dogma”) opens with “Choice,” a ringing statement of belief offered by frontman Jared Lacey over a dissonant guitar line. “Infidel Castro” (a churning rocker sweetened by Betsi Ford’s guest vocals) and “Jihad” (a volatile number bolstered by ex-Staple lead singer Darin Keim) probe personal responsibility in a morally compromised world. Lacey gasps, murmurs, and screams his way through “Eternal Respiration,” a standout example of Mayfly’s ability to remain melodic amid volleys of guitar fire and brutal drumbeats. The frantic tempo and dense vocal interplay of “Skylights” takes the EP’s ferocity level up another notch. Most impressive is “Fiasco,” a rock ballad that tears into man’s sinful nature before rising to its soul-bearing chorus. A remixed “Eternal Respiration” (courtesy of electronic artist Jessy “J.E.S.S.” Ferguson) wraps up the EP with an insistent industrial throb.

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