Marcus the Apex Predator! – Newborn Fossil (EP Review)

Fasten your seatbelt for a new rock, post-hardcore Newborn Fossil EP.

Marcus: the Apex Predator! is a Detroit-based indie/post-hardcore outfit. Formed in 2015, Kevin Watts (guitars, vocals, writing) teams up again with Float Here Forever bandmate Nick Marko for the band’s Newborn Fossil EP.

Newborn Fossil marks the first EP from the artist in a long time, as the previous record from Marcus: the Apex Predator! came in 2018 with The Fury of Almost, which delivered that Detroit-style hardcore rock that the artist continued to pursue and develop on the brand-new EP.

Sean Bondareff (Kind Beast) lays down the bass, and the tracks were recorded and mixed by Jake Shives and mastered by Grammy-winning Detroit legend Dave Feeny at Tempermill Studios. All of these collaborations, brought together on the EP, hint at the solid mastering and mixing that contribute to the overall excitement of the new record.

Marcus: the Apex Predator! prides itself on representing Detroit by existing in the in-between, finding a niche between the melodic and the aggressive, with a thoughtful yet fun sound that hits your ear.

So, without further ado, let’s see what the new record has got:

From the beginning, you get a nice kick to the sound with a solid mixture of raw rock that truly finds itself between rawness and thoughtfulness. On intro tracks like “Newborn Fossil,” you get a blend that reminds you of a brooding and dynamic soundscape while sticking to a minimalistic and restrained aesthetic.

However, on subsequent tracks like “Plenty & Shine,” the artist steps out of minimalism, jumping into a vibrant dynamic that has a fun kick to it. The textural, shimmering sound of guitars throughout the record throws you into a palette of quirky yet somewhat unhinged tones.

On the album, you also encounter a more predictable sound—a “what you see is what you get” approach. Some tracks give me the feeling of what would happen if Black Sabbath tried to hit you with a brighter, melodic sound while still embracing an off-kilter vibe. Despite the big names mixing and mastering the record, you don’t always get the metronomic, perfectly paced songs; instead, it feels like the creative mess one might have in a room. Although the record sometimes sounds all over the place, explosive as it may be, it still maintains a certain pattern.

Closer to the end, with the track “No Fraction,” the momentum of quirkiness and melodic aggressiveness starts to feel stale and a bit too gritty, slightly taking down the overall listening experience.

The new EP from Marcus: the Apex Predator! finds itself in an interesting place. It is not the usual, direct rock sound; rather, it represents a sound with a grain of bizarreness and quirkiness. At times, the wrenching and snarling aesthetic of the artist makes the track sound more prolonged than it actually is, tiring the listener instead of delivering the full brightness of the sound.

Score/Good: This EP is solid. It has some excellent rock tracks with angular riffs that worm their way into your ear, giving you that slight feel of excitement and craziness. While I would not call this the top-notch rock performance by any means, I believe the overall essence and rough energy of the EP offers more than enough for a rock fan.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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