Stavesacre is back with a brand new EP after a hiatus of sorts. Supposedly this EP is a set of farewell songs intended for the fans that have supported the band over the years. Personally, I hope the guys in the band hear how good these songs are and realize they still have some creativity and momentum left in the Stavesacre tank and they give us another full length. As with any band this deeply ingrained in my past, I should note that I’ve loved this band since Absolutes, I feel like that album and Speakeasy are the bands best, but they’re followed very closely by How to Live With a Curse.

The new DVD/EP combo is a welcome addition to my collection because I honestly hated to see this band go. I remember exactly when they announced that they broke up, I was in a hotel waiting to catch a flight to Seattle the next day. The news came not as a shock, but it still was a bummer nonetheless.

So how is this EP? Freaking good, once you let one fact sink in – it’s brutally fast and in your face. There is no catching your breath here, unless you count the closing moments of “The Band Played On.” At first it caught me off guard since most times I connect with Stavesacre’s slower material (“Wither/Ascend” “Gold and Silver” “Yes” “Grace” etc). That’s not to say I don’t love songs like “You Know How it Is” “Tranewreck” and “Shiv” b/c I do, and that’s exactly what this EP sounds like. Pure agreesion, and I love it. At times it almost directly reminds me of Absolutes.

The DVD is and added bonus to the package, but is it worth it? YES! Lasting at just under 45 minutes, the band gave us not only footage and commentary on the recording of the new songs, but footage from the early days, Absolutes recording sessions and various shows. They also discuss the hard times the band has gone through during the Speakeasy days, how they got screwed over by Abacus (just like The Juliana Theory did) and more. It’s an excellent DVD! I hate to admit that I waited almost a month to watch it b/c I’ve been so accustomed to CD/DVD packages having terribly lame DVDs. Such is not the case with this one.

So what’s the jist? If you like old Stavesacre played fast, you’ll like this EP more than you know. Highly recommended to the old fan. New fans should probably start somewhere else if for no other reason that this is only an EP. Thanks to Mark, Dirk, Sam, Ryan and Jeff for taking the time to put this set of songs together. Here’s to more music from the Stavesacre camp in the future!

Rating: 10/10.