- Ecca Vandal’s debut EP, End of Time, feels like she let off fireworks inside a building, and then proceeded to stay inside that building thrashing out power chords and spitfire anthems so consuming she remained unfazed by the burning building around her. Vandal’s music is so embellished with spiky riffs and impenetrable vocals she’d survive that fire too. Although travelling in the same vein as the first singles, there’s significant diversity across the output with plenty more room to move in her unexpected, unrivaled and unforgiving sound.

The latest single off the EP End of Time is a slicker adaptation of Vandal’s style without buffing her edge too smooth. After hearing her vocals come to the fore in this track I can’t help but wish you hear them more throughout, but her more angular, feverish belters are a pretty sweet condolence. It actually took a while to realise End of Time was an Ecca Vandal track, it’s a bit of a misnomer especially after hearing the first single off the EP, Battle Royal. That lead single is a gritty power rock track which better reflects her sound as whole, but both singles still have anthemic vocal melodies and spitting rap-like delivery in the verses.

The opening track Running at People Exiting is more at home on End of Time, with its jagged, latent energy becoming frenetic right before your ears. Hard rock riffs bounce off giant, ripping synths, drums crashing every which ways. Vandal’s voice is a tidal wave of force crashing down on you with intent, not to harm, but to make you sit the eff up and take notice.

Divided is an honest and angry tale of Ecca being too brown for her lover. “Was the curry too hot?” she quips at her partner not being able to handle the South-African born, Sri Lankan Australian’s culture. Vandal’s sound fits political topics like a glove, it’s fiery and makes no apologies for taking a stand. It’s probably not helpful to imagine Vandal’s music as a genre, it’s best thought of as an energy; the sparking end of a loose wire. Certainly not short on ideas, End of Time is a well-executed explosion and could definitely be the soundtrack to the apocalypse.

- Grace Pashley.