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There’s a special kind of chaos that only an EP can really deliver—the kind that feels like a band showing you everything they’re capable of in a single, breathless burst. And that is exactly what Nefas delivered on their debut EP, Oblation Ov Obliteration. Nefas sounds like what I imagine puking in space looks like—kind of amorphous, ever-shifting, and always some variation of chunky. The band just dropped their self-described “psi-cosmic death grind” debut, Oblation Ov Obliteration, and yeah, I’m nauseous just thinking about it.

Among Nefas‘ lineup is Rajan Davis, who also plays live bass for Gigan. That might explain the sheer sonic chaos. That connection has already earned Nefas a glowing endorsement from Gigan mastermind Eric Hersemann, and something tells me he’s just the first of many to publicly sing this band’s praises. If you’re into swirling, suffocating grind with a healthy dose of cosmic dread and death metal, go ahead and press play—but maybe don’t eat first.

Before we dive into the three tracks on Oblation Ov Obliteration, let me regale you with Hersemann’s endorsement: “With Nefas, Rajan Davis and crew have crafted an eclectic array of both musical and vocal approaches that push the boundaries of creativity and extremity further than most new bands these days, while still remaining at all times challenging, interesting, and memorable. I’m super glad that Rajan finally has a proper personal showcase of the impressive guitar and bass playing that earned him a spot playing live bass for Gigan. Definitely listen to Nefas as soon as you can and enjoy.”

Nefas wastes no time with the opener, “Xenomorphic”. You’re immediately thrown into a chaotic 7/8 riff that barely gives you a second to process what’s going on before the song dives into a brief burst of cosmic panic chords, capped off with massive chanting vocals that hit squarely on the beat. Then, just as suddenly as both parts appear, the track drops into a “comfortable” groove punctuated by intermittent harmonics. At first, it feels like only half the band got the memo, but that tension quickly resolves as everything locks in and launches into a full-force charge forward. And remember—you’re only 90 seconds into the song at this point.

If I tried to break down every shift and micro-moment on this EP that I thought was interesting, I’d be here explaining three songs for the next half hour. What’s smart about “Xenomorphic” is that it immediately sets a pretty crazy precedent for what you’re going to hear throughout the rest of the EP. It hurls you through the cosmos at light speed, and every star, comet, and collapsing galaxy you pass is a new riff, a new transition, a new jarring turn into an endless black. You do not really have much of a reference to figure out where you’re going—but more importantly, don’t blink, because you’ll definitely miss something.

“Spiral Degradation” lives up to its name and serves as the centerpiece of the EP—both literally and in terms of runtime. It kicks off as a relatively straightforward death metal track, albeit laced with jagged, dissonant tapped riffs that already hint that something unstable and creepy is lurking in the abyss. Then, right around the two-minute mark, the degradation begins—and you’re going to notice it.

Davis’ lead guitar dissolves into a swirl of heavy effects that are so warped and mangled, picking out actual notes becomes damn near impossible. Meanwhile, bassist Rusty Kennedy and drummer Alejandro Aranda struggle to rein him back in, as if trying to keep their vessel from breaking apart mid-flight. The song briefly snaps back into its death metal form, but by the final minute and a half, it is completely untethered and free-floating. At around the three-minute mark, the proverbial ship has completely fallen apart and its passengers have begun to unfold at an atomic level, somewhere deep in the void. Aranda’s drumming turns into an unhinged free-jazz assault. Kennedy and Davis sound like their instruments have been thrown into a black hole and time-stretched into oblivion, while vocalist Erik Fernandez is somewhere in the void spewing spit, blood, and bile across the stars.

After all the chaos and cosmic unrest, Nefas closes the EP with their most straightforward track, “Mindstream Transference”. Of course, that’s a relative term, considering there are still bends and cracks in the fabric of reality scattered throughout the entire song—but you get the idea. It’s a straightforward track in a world of insanity. Compared to the rest of the EP, “Mindstream Transference” feels less like being hurled through an interstellar hell blender and more like the universe’s decision to quietly and permanently delete your existence, past, present, and future. It’s a clean, merciless annihilation.

I’d give Oblation Ov Obliteration a solid 8 out of 10. Nefas has a ton of potential, and I’m genuinely excited to see how their trajectory as a band unfolds. If they decide to fully embrace the sci-fi-infused, experimental death metal thing they’re doing right now, I can easily see them becoming part of the next wave that follows in the footsteps of classic bands like Gigan, Wormed, and Mithras.

That said, we’ve only heard three tracks so far, so there’s still no telling exactly where Nefas will land with their debut full-length. But based on what’s been released, one thing is certainly clear: Nefas is a band to watch. They’re carving out their own strange, dissonant orbit, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they started making serious waves in the metal community—both here on Earth and wherever the metal community is way out there in space.