This was a duel borne of friendship and rivalry in equal parts: the fresh math-rock contingent with furrowed brows and veins bursting forth anger with every guitar swipe versus the corner of the inventive noise clans, all screaming and lyrically incontinent. Silent Front packing three hulking lumps of testosterone in the red corner versus diminutive Team Tiger Force in the blue.

The EP is split straight down the middle: two tracks to the trio, two to the duo. Initial stolid guitar parts give way to explosive cascades of energy and pinned-to-the-wall vocals á la Cap'n Jazz allowing Silent Front to create devastating contrasts several times in one song. When they have a riff party on Self Seller Event, it's almost a relief to be fielded notes instead of distortion. It's by no means less enjoyable though. As buzzing feedback fades to silence, nothing can quite prepare for the similarly frenetic, but wildly different approach to come.

As a real-life duel, the odds seem rather stacked against the felines. What they lack in physical presence, though, they make up with frenzied enthusiasm. Kill The Wonder Boy throws jabs, darts around the ring and kicks up a fuss with dirty programmed beats and endangered yelps. Whilst comparisons to The Kills may be numerically accurate, Tiger Force share more in common with the boy-girl dynamics of Bearsuit or Help! She Can't Swim shunning the former's bluesy roots for a much more insane racket.

This is an inter-class clash: the behemoth heavyweights against the featherweights, and for once the little guys come out on top. The idea of this CD, though, is more likely to be a dual introduction and neither contender sells themselves short.

You may purchase this split from http://www.initforthemoney.net/