There's a bit of a soft spot somewhere in my unhallowed coal of a heart that warmly welcomes melodic death metal for a brief yet controlled period of time. Bands like Scar Symmetry et al. can occasionally make stuff that's fun and appealing in its own little right, and I had the pleasure of serendipitously discovering a small squad budding in the mysterious landmass of Singapore called Assault. Their debut EP, "Exceptions of the Rebellions," is at the very least a consistent, punching release that accurately represents a good chunk of what melodic death metal is supposed to be, although there happens to be a few rough patches coiling in the machine. Overall though, the four-song effort strikes quickly and stays in its relaxed position, an accurate snapshot of the confident and dashing gentlemen running this nifty Assault group.

I'm not really familiar with most of melodic death metal's harbingers excluding the legends and some personal favorites, but Assault, at least in my own eyes, uses the highly melodic riffs and melodies frequently depicted in melodic death metal; that's pretty much the core essence of the EP. It might sound a little stale because they're doing what's been done before, but they make themselves known here. There are clusters of quirky, accustomed riffs, melodies and solos that are quite listenable and even impressive at times, and the vocals are powerful yelps of war-filled growls. Assault's prime picture is the songwriting, which transcends beyond verse-chorus blueprints or milking a dull riff for minutes on end; instead, there's a sturdy balance of rhythms and sections which strike both devotedly and hard.