Though the Christian rock scene is becoming over-saturated with bands that utilize generic lyrics, riffs, formulas, etc., there are still bands out there that do not fit the aforementioned mold. Comrades is one of those groups. When I first heard the songs "Dark Tongues Part II" and "Underground Queen," from Comrades' 2016 release Lone/Grey, I was surprised at how well-written those songs were, and how musically impressive they sounded. Stepping back in time to 2011, Comrades' only studio release at the time was The Refugee EP: A 6-song taste of what was to come.

The EP begins with the track "Answer Me This," which starts out with a slow guitar intro, accompanied by clean vocals in the background. The song then comes alive at the minute-and-a-half mark, with fast-paced drums, and killer electric guitar and bass riffs. The song "Weight" follows up by keeping the momentum alive with an entertaining guitar opener. This track stood out to me because the bassline is easily identifiable, which is not true for a lot of the music I listen to.

"Where Moth And Rust Destroys" is easily the best song on the EP, though it is short compared to most normal-length songs; it only lasts 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Also, it turns out to be an instrumental track. The longest and final track, "Partisans," is also a vocals-free song.

Vocals, clean or unclean, are few and far between on The Refugee. When they do occur, the lyrics sung are good, though the vocals themselves are hard to hear. The musicianship isn't mediocre at all, but I can't say it's groundbreaking either.