Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn - EP

'The Austerity Program's Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn is a four-song EP that has already rattled my brain and left me craving more. If there is one criticism I have after this first listen, it is that it's too damn short, clocking in at just under twenty minutes. How has a band like The Austerity Program flown under my radar for so long? These dudes (there are just two of 'em and a drum machine) do pain and sorrow via my preferred method: heavy, distortion-drenched low-frequency riffage and brutally direct lyrics. As a music fan who openly worships at the altar of Steve Albini, just stumbling upon The Austerity Program is like finding a rare unearthed jewel. They appear to have tapped into the same cosmic, creative energy that possessed Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac, but in a way that is completely unique and their own. I'm enamored by the quality of the recording. The low-end crunch that drives all four tracks is countered by the clarity of vocalist Justin Foley's lyrical torrent. This is an EP for end times, my friends, and I fucking love it.' - Dean Blumberg / 10listens.com