3 out of 5

Label: The Ghost is Clear Records

Produced by: Jarom Johnson (recorded by)

Brandishing shotguns and bike helmets whilst dressed in Mormon white and black, sitting on a rustic couch in quite the Midwest-looking living room, the four band members of screamo outfit Missouri Executive Order 44 are clearly going all out to stick with the theme / shtick of their name: an 1800s-era law that essentially demanded for the death of Mormons, resulting in the body count further referenced by this EPs title. A browse through the lyrics – a few lines each, stuffed into these fast-paced 1.5 minute grinds – leans things more into shtick territory, as the boys blend scripture with poking fun at polygamy and other Mormon practices, sprinkled with a lovable amount of profanity.

A little while longer into this project and MEO44’s more general anti-authority stance would come through over the smirking, just as the music settled more into Converge-tics and performant vocal antics. While that’s a bit more polished, I kind of prefer this rawer form of the band, where there’s some legitimate ominousness in the interstitial samples and ambience, and a track like Fuckin’ Boggs just goes for all out grind and slaps for its :36 runtime. The Converge-isms are similarly enthused; maybe a little sloppy in their eagerness but effective, while closer Root Bear stretches out to three minutes, and is definitely the best track here, combining the grind / screamo energy with some post-metal menace.

Because the lyrics are all a bit snide, and the music is a mish-mash of grind identities, Seventeen Dead isn’t necessarily a landmark entry in the genre. However: it’s the MEO44 release that makes me understand the hype that swirled around their start.