On You’ll Know It Was Me, Church Tongue steps confidently into a darker, more emotionally unhinged territory. The EP is a crushing six-song release that blends metallic hardcore, sludge, and blackened emotionalism into something raw yet meticulously constructed. The band leans hard into heaviness — not just in sound, but in tone, pacing, and sheer emotional weight. What emerges is a release that feels unflinching and personal, full of sonic punishment and moments of ghostly reflection.

From the opening seconds, the riffs feel massive — dense, low-end-heavy, and rumbling like distant thunder. There's a percussive quality to them, especially on tracks like "Heart of Darkness" and "Bury Me (One Thousand Times)," where guitars and drums feel locked into each other like gears in a grinding machine. The breakdowns hit with a hollow, cavernous quality, thanks to how the guitars are allowed to ring out — not just played, but echoed, as if bouncing off the walls of some underground cathedral.

The drums throughout are tight and commanding, with a strong sense of pacing that gives the chaos structure. You hear it clearly in the explosive shift that takes place on "When It Betrays," which begins with a slow, ominous build before snapping into frenzied, fast-paced intensity. Here, the drums not only drive the tempo but become the song’s spine — dense and dissonant yet weirdly catchy. It’s one of the most memorable moments on the EP, not just for its instrumental complexity, but for the emotional contrast brought by guest vocalist Colin Young, whose guttural delivery pairs beautifully with the more melodic vocal lines. That dynamic tension — the clean and the filthy, the melodic and the visceral — runs like a current through the whole record.

Vocally, this EP is a leap forward. There's a visceral, raw texture to the performance that fits the production perfectly — clear enough to feel intentional, but still bleeding with emotion. Backing vocals, though sparse, are deeply effective, adding sharp, aching accents that pierce through the noise. On “One Hand Wrapped Around the Sun,” they carry a certain bitterness — not just screamed but felt, lending a level of sincerity that recalls a heavier, more desolate Poison the Well.

Production-wise, everything sounds massive but uncluttered. The bass isn’t just present — it hits, giving body to the riffs and a warm undercurrent to the dissonance. Even in the more chaotic or experimental sections, there’s a clarity that allows you to pick apart each layer. Nowhere is this more evident than on the title track, “You’ll Know It Was Me,” which opens with acoustic guitar and slow, ritualistic drums. The mood is reflective at first, recalling something closer to Twitching Tongues, but it doesn’t take long before the track erupts into a wall of distortion and blackened vocals — a funeral dirge turned into a sonic avalanche. George Clarke’s guest appearance adds a layer of unease, his shrieks cutting through the song like cold wind. It’s disorienting, but undeniably beautiful in its ruin.

The same experimental spirit appears earlier on “The Fury of Love,” where a looping guitar motif creates a kind of unholy atmosphere. The track feels slower and more deliberately punishing — like it’s choosing to drag its feet through the mud. Crystal Pak’s guest vocals come in like a ghost in the final stretch, breaking the tension with a distant lightness that makes the eventual heaviness hit even harder. It’s moments like this that show how Church Tongue is willing to bend and mutate their sound, refusing to be boxed in.

While the EP is undeniably heavy, it also shows range. There are subtle nods to black metal in the high-register vocals and occasional tremolo-picking patterns, especially on "Bury Me" and the title track. But Church Tongue never fully leaves their hardcore roots — the riffs still punch, the drums still anchor, and the breakdowns still collapse the floor beneath you.

You’ll Know It Was Me isn’t just a collection of heavy songs — it’s a statement of intent. It’s Church Tongue at their most adventurous, their most punishing, and arguably their most emotionally honest. This is the sound of a band digging deeper, embracing the ugliness and beauty in equal measure, and coming out the other side bloodied but sharper than ever.

RATING: 8.5/10