Herein lies the problem with EPs: it’s a sampling, a tease, a morsel of what storms and snaps beyond the great divide.

Ottawa five-piece Drillpoint are a talented, groove-laden Modern Metal band that has some serious road experience headlining the regions of Quebec and Ottawa and opening for mainstream bands like DAMAGEPLAN, HATEBREED, SWORN ENEMY, PROTEST THE HERO, EXODUS, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, and ANVIL, and for whatever reason, they remain unsigned.

Their latest outing, 2009’s "Shot To Hell", is a three-song showcase of familiar rhythms and punchy choruses. That may sound like a bad thing, but I digress, it’s no short-coming. The album is over in a time span of less than 12 minutes, and by the time the initial, title track loops over again, a wave of disappointment is inevitable.

But, for all it’s worth, DRILLPOINT pleases with a style not unlike that of LAMB OF GOD: a Thrashy, attitude-infested, riff-circus that would undoubtedly translate to an entertaining live show.

The three songs are not as diverse as one would hope from an EP, but each tune seems to cater to a different breed of Metal fan. The first, "Shot To Hell", is your Metalcore face-stomper; the second, "Sacrifice", is the traditionally rooted Thrash number; and the final, "The Walls Fall Down", is the Hardcore-ish anthem, also considerably catchy and heavy.

Giving “Shot To Hell” a score of seven is really precisely what it’s worth. Definitely something Thrash fans should check out, the album is just simply too short for it’s own good.

With three EPs (2003’s "Snapper Head", 2005’s "Where’s The Soul", and 2009’s "Shot To Hell") and a single (2007’s "Enemy") released, I think it’s time a record company gave this Canadian quintet a chance to prove their worth with a legitimate full-length album.

(Online May 13, 2010)