In an age where the dominant question concerning media is whether or not physical product is necessary anymore – i.e. CDs/vinyl vs. mp3 and other common formats – Cleveland, Ohio, metallers Threefold Law have pulled off a rare feat and found a happy medium with their new double-EP release, MMX. For curmudgeonly CD collectors like myself who just can’t let go of the little plastic discs, MMX is presented over the course of two component EPs, The Rede and The Burning Time, each in its own jewel case with separate and complete artwork (you also get downloadable versions of the tracks when you buy from the band). The digital version of MMX comes on a custom-designed USB key and features a host of bonus material, from video clips and WAV files to an actual Threefold Law tarot card and embedded artwork. Maybe it’s not so much a compromise between the two sides of the issue as much as it’s Threefold Law covering their bases, but it’s interesting in that either way you tackle MMX, the band has managed to maintain some semblance of control over how you hear their material.

For me, I have to put on a separate disc to switch from The Rede to The Burning Time, but even if I loaded all the files into my iTunes or some equivalent clunker of a media player, I’d still have two separate covers and contexts to tackle with MMX. I’m not sure why Threefold Law would want to put out their material this way – though I’ll admit there are thematic differences between the two EPs that make it easy to read in a few reasons – but they’ve done a good job of it nonetheless. And the music, which is ultimately what matters on this or any other release, is quality traditional doom with nods to Trouble and a C.O.C.-type tone in the double guitars that only adds to the already-satisfying low end. Each EP has an appeal of its own. The Rede closes with “Old Dominion,” a heady jammer with Threefold Law’s best bass performance (though “The Serpent King” from The Burning Time offers stiff competition), where The Burning Time has the memorable cuts “Rankin” and “Killer of the Sultan.” What unites the two EPs and ultimately draws MMX together is the riffing and the consistent vocals, which lead almost exclusively throughout the tracks. There are a few excellent guitar solos – they feature in layers on the title cut from The Burning Time — and overall the material should sit well with fans of American traditional doom and/or the darker, heathen side of stoner metal.

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