BUTTERFLY MESSIAH
Butterfly Messiah
This unusual duo from Florida has put together a five-song demo that flits
about among a number of genres without getting sucked down into any particular
one. From goth to new wave to EBM to synthpop to ambient, Butterfly
Messiah are difficult to describe but this only works in their favor.
"Spiderwebs" starts things off on a moody note, leaning the furthest
toward traditional goth music of anything on here. Nathan Davis'
vocals work best on the lower, spoken pieces, whereas when he starts to
move up in range, it begins to approach goth parody. Shannon Garson
gets to show off her voice next on "DNA" and I must admit, I find
it much more pleasing. In both cases, they would benefit greatly
from a better recording, but hey, this is a demo and considering that,
it's not too bad. Musically is where the band impresses me the most,
as they play different styles equally well and make the lo-fi recording
atmosphere work in their favor.
"Visitor" is an interesting track, reminding me a bit of the
more atmospheric Sleep Chamber songs, with the best vocal performances
from both Nathan and Shannon in evidence. "Burning
Angel" is a more rockin' affair, with Shannon once again adding
her ethereal touch as well as a beautiful flute solo near the end.
The final track, "The Standing Stones" relies a little too much
on delay and just didn't work for me the way the rest of the tape did.
Obsessed with Faeries and the like, Butterfly Messiah will no
doubt get lumped in with the goth crowd, but I think they have the diversity
and talent to make fans on a broader scale. For more info: http://listen.to/butterflymessiah
[Daniel Hinds]
EMBER 8
Ember 8
This is a four-song (and four-track, judging by the rather dodgy recording
quality) demo from a band from Ohio. Ember 8 describe themselves
as “alternative metal” and that’s pretty much spot on. Some of the
heavy guitar tones and harsh vocals could fall under the metal banner,
while the melodies and arrangements fall more into the alternative-rock
vein.
A clean-guitar intro slides quickly into the slow-to-mid tempo grunge
that characterizes much of this tape. Slight comparisons to Tool
and Nirvana can be assessed, with vocals more toward the Tad
extreme. Actually the vocals have a tendency to override the proceedings
and really kill the groove, as is well evidenced during the chorus of “Nothing.”
When he sticks to growling or singing in a normal range, all is good, but
once in a while he moves up to a higher-pitched screeching that truly grates
on the ol’ nerves.
None of the tracks really stand out too much, though if I had to pick,
the more relaxed “Dreams Remind” would be the favorite. The
bass-playing throughout the tape is very strong, but both the drums and
guitar tend to lose their impact due to the low-budget recording.
With some more money, more time and better thought-out vocals, Ember
8 could be onto something. More info: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Plaza/2658/
[Daniel Hinds]
fockewolf
dominus et deus
From the ashes of And Christ Wept comes Rob Wilhelm’s latest
project, fockewolf. Blending beat-heavy industrial with more
gothic-tinged vocals (courtesy of the Siouxsie-ish Severina)
and atmosphere, the duo create some interesting diversions.
“Visionary For Nothing” kicks off and is one of the hardest (and
best) tracks on dominus et deus, with Rob delivering
the vocals himself. “Faultless,” however, is a little too
one-dimensional musically, though Severina does her best to try
and rescue the track. “A Doctrine Against Flesh” almost suffers
the same fate, but Rob dresses up the repetitive arrangement much
better and the vocals show even more diversity.
Side two starts off with the sample-laden “Submit-Submissive,” a
more laid-back track than anything on side one, where Rob once again
takes over the mic. “Drought” turns the goth factor up a couple
notches, while “I Am God” returns a bit to the energy of side one.
This track also features my favorite vocal performance on the tape – Severina
shows a more restrained and controlled side that lets her voice really
shine through.
The duo are supposed to be releasing a full-length CD soon, I believe.
If you’ve seen them live and liked the sound, definitely investigate this
tape or the forthcoming disc, as they sound even better in the studio.
[Daniel Hinds]
NECROSIS
Disconnected ‘97
This tape is a bit old and I haven’t been able to find any current info
on the band so I’m not sure what their current status is. The three
tracks offered here are well-produced, dense death/grind numbers played
with conviction. “Disconnected” shows the band’s various sides,
as the vocals shift from deep, death growling to harsh, hardcore yelling.
The downtuned riffs lurch all over the place, too, from choppy, modern
chunks to more traditional thrash and death moments. “Cosmic”
follows
suit and offers some brief but well-placed solos in the middle, along with
some equally brief female backing vocals. “Spiders Like To Hide”
is perhaps the most diverse, but still very much in line with the others.
Overall, a strong outing, esp. for a demo. While it’s not my cup
of tea, it could very easily appeal to fans of more modern metal/hardcore.
More info at: Jacob Bredahl, Banegardsgade 1, 1. nr. 11, 8000
Aarhus C, DENMARK.
[Daniel Hinds]
VAMPIRE NATION
Bes-Na-Maut [kiss the girls pt. 1]
This unusual project seems to be the work of a single Pittsburgh man, Fredrik
Von Hamilton. The sound on this eleven track cassette album is
an interesting mix of styles, including tribal, trance and techno.
The songs are quick on the beat, always in motion and flow into each other,
furthering the trance feeling.
The opening track is a slightly ill-advised (albeit creepy) narrative
that doesn’t really fit the rest f the music. Once the beat kicks
in, things improve considerably and, while this style isn’t really up my
alley, it is executed pretty well. The monk-like chants are a little
too persistent and end up clashing more than mixing, but overall the sound
is good and dense and never stops traveling. The overall mood defies
the somewhat dark band name and remains fairly upbeat for the most of the
tape, not unlike recent Delerium material sans vocals. More
info: http://www.vampire-nation.com/
[Daniel Hinds]
GANDALF
Snakebite
This five-piece metal outfit hail from Finland, which has given
us some fine bands in the recent past. The three songs on this demo indicate
that Gandalf can be added to that list. Playing a fairly original
style of metal, the emphasis is on both melody and heaviness. The only
comparisons I could come up with are Sentenced newer material and
Dark
Tranquility, esp. the vocals, but I’d definitely say Gandalf
have
their own style. Mostly mid-tempo, the songs are all very well-produced
and feature some excellent leads, an element of metal that has been far
too absent in the 90s.
I think this demo might be a bit old, so hopefully the band is well
on their way to having their debut CD out by now. For more info: http://www.sit.fi/~kriba
[Daniel Hinds]
BEAUTY
Buried With the Sky
This is a 3-song tape of Beauty’s latest material and is quite impressive.
Scott
Evans is the sole member of Beauty and has managed to combine
brutally-heavy guitar and vocals with well-structured industrial rhythms.
It’s nice to hear someone who hasn’t abandoned the idea of meshing guitar
with electronics and there is much here that should appeal to fans of bands
like Puncture and Fear Factory. Beauty
is more synth-laden,
though, and Scott incorporates some really cool, noisy samples in
the mix as well.
The thing that I like best about Beauty is the complexity. Instead
of just taking one or two ideas and beating them into the ground, Scott
has
composed some fairly complex tunes that flow quite well. “Mute”
is
a great example of this, bringing to mind some of Skinny Puppy’s
more innovative moments. Another nice touch is the inclusion of a female
vocalist, Michelle Kunz, on the track “Fragment,” which is
a nice counter-balance to Scott’s distorted ranting.
Buried With the Sky is a very pro-sounding collection
of songs and Scott has a full CD worth of material just waiting
for a label smart enough to release it. Until then, definitely get ahold
of this tape. More info at: http://www.his.com/beauty
[Daniel Hinds]
CALEDONIA
The Lure of Sin
When I heard that this band had Renaissance and Midddle Eastern influences,
I never quite expected them to sound like this. Actually, I was quite pleasantly
surprised with this tape. I am always happy to find a goth band that is
not afraid to bare their fangs and really rock at times. Caledonia does
this well, but they are just as adept at pulling off the slower moodier
pieces as well and quite adept at blending the two as they do on the title
track.
The music revolves mostly around Scott's emotion-quenched guitars
and Mikaela's alluring vocals. Mikaela's skill to shift from
the the mellow to the heavy stuff vocally is refreshing. Her lyrics were
also something that I was happy with. They are cryptic enough so that it
allows you to draw your own meaning, but there is enough concreteness that
it gives you a starting off point.
All this being said, I really want to point out the grave flaw on this
demo and it is on the final track "Twist of Fate." It doesn't have
quite the same vibe as the rest of the tape and feels somewhat out of place.
Also, it features the one weak change-up on the tape and it is almost laughably
bad. Mikaela informed me that this is one of Caledonia's
earlier tracks written prior to her joining the band and it shows how far
Caledonia
has
come since then at bettering their transitions.
I don't know if there are any copies left of this tape, but if they
are I encourage you to contact the band and try to get one. I really believe
Caledonia
has
the pieces to make it big (at least within the goth world), so these demo
tapes maybe some kind of a collector's item. Also if you would just want
to find out more about the band in general check out their website @ http://www.bway.net/~mikaela/caledonia
or reach them by snailmail at P.O. Box 97, Prince Street Station, New
York, NY 10012.
[Victor Mejia]
B : TYPE
Chloroform Love Story
This Singapore outfit produce a very dark, cold sound, with a very 'live'
feel to the recording. Noisy, dirty-sounding dirges make up this demo tape
and calling the sound raw would be an understatement. Musically, the material
is about as anti-pop as the classic industrial acts like SPK, though there
is structure to the tunes with an underlying gothic feel that is almost
buried under the noise. Slow, brooding numbers with vocals to match, I
couldn't make out any lyrics, but with a title like "Chloroform Love Story,"
they've gotta be good... Contact: <witchee@pacific.net.sg>
[Daniel Hinds]
BIOFEEDBACK
Incision
This young Baltimore band certainly know how to make noise, as is amply
demonstrated on this full-length cassette offering (13 songs in all).
Using a sequencer, a sampler, guitars, bass and plenty of distortion, they
plough through fairly familiar industrial territory with no remorse.
Unfortunately, I think they went a bit overboard with the treated vocals
and repetitive samples, making some of the songs kind of hard to listen
to. None of the songs really grabbed my attention, either, as has
been the case with a lot of releases lately.
On the plus side, the production and mix (both done by the band themselves,
in 3 days) sounds very good for a demo, as does the playing. I'd
like to hear these guys again down the road, once they've got a little
more songwriting experience under their belts. Check out their web page:
http://www.oberlin.edu/~cwilkins
or write to: P.O. Box 107, Savage, MD 20763, USA.
[Daniel Hinds]
MENTAL CRYPT
Sects of Doom
I was half expecting another tired death metal band when I got this
tape, but fortunately that was not the case at all. Mental Crypt are a
five-piece from Sweden that combine elements of thrash, death and progressive
metal into one tight package. The playing is excellent, very tight, and
the songwriting really takes advantage of that. Brutal riffs speed along
and switch gears at the drop of a hat. Fans of bands like Fear Factory,
Epidemic and the like will no doubt want to check this tape out.
The vocals are gruff but strong and not overbearing. Lyrically, Mental
Crypt seem to touch on the usual metal topics, but a good amount of thought
seems to have gone into crafting them at least. I must also make
comment on the excellent production, some of the best I've heard yet on
a demo. I'd be very surprised if these guys don't land a record deal
with material that is this high quality. More info, e-mail: sven-erik.fritofsson@enator.se
or write them at: Mental Crypt, c/o Kjell Elmlund, Trataljav. 15 H, S-663
34 Skoghall, Sweden.
[Daniel Hinds]
SURREAL
Blooms In The Dark
A rather unassuming looking band, this North Carolina outfit have put
together some pretty intesne material on this demo. Combining elements
of doom, death and thrash metal, Surreal have hit on a formula that, while
not terribly original, works most of the time. Vocalist Andy Pitre
uses a range of styles, from the typical death metal screams to more restrained
singing. The screaming is a bit much for my tastes, but his singing
the rest of the time works very well with the quirky, heavy music.
Opener "At The Door" has a good variety of hard thrash bits and more mellow,
Voivod-esque weirdness. The other two songs, "Pain Reveals" and "Directional
Spell" are a bit more straightforward but still pretty involved.
Good production, good musicianship and a good mixture of styles make
this a pretty impressive tape. This kind of complex thrash metal
seems to be making a comeback in the underground scene lately and I think
Surreal are in a good position to get some attention. Write to the
band at: 1105 Martin Pond Rd., Wendell, NC 27591, USA.
[Daniel Hinds]
TORQUEMADA
Promo 96
Yet another metal demo! Seem to be getting tons of them lately
and this one is another winner. Hailing from Italy, a country that
has yet to contribute any significant metal bands to the international
scene, it was doubly surprsing by the quality of this release. Gruff
vocals top the well-produced progressive thrash underneath. Torquemada
have the intensity of the modern metal acts, but with a bit more of the
classic thrash sensibility, which is great as far as I am concerned.
I do wish the vocals varied a bit more, like the music does, but they still
work pretty well. Write: Matteo Casali, via Caleri, 35, 42 100 Reggio
Emilia, Italy.
[Daniel Hinds]
COAL CHAMBER
Demo 1996
This LA four-piece fall squarely into the same category as bands like
Clutch, Prong and (maybe) Korn. Groovy basslines alternate with heavy
guitar and disturbed-but-not-metal vocals. Of the three songs, "Sway"
is the heaviest and could easily appeal to metal fans as well as the alternative
crowd. The recording is very pro in a minimal way that compliments
the music. Not my cup of tea, but they do this stuff at least as
good as Clutch and way, way better than Korn. Write them at:
832 3/4 N. Alta Vista Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046, USA.
[Daniel Hinds]
162
Forgiveness and the Human Heart
Dark themes, industrial rhythms and bleak vocals define this unusual
project. Started in '95 by John Prassus, 162 sounds very original
and musical, with some nice piano thrown into the mix. I've had this
tape for a while but just haven't been able to come up with a good description
of the band (plus I keep losing the damn tape...) Each song has a
distinct sound, yet they flow into one another quite smoothly, making this
4-song tape quite enjoyable. The recording quality and production
are a bit rough, but certainly listenable. Check with the band, as they
may have a full-length CD out by now. Write to: 162, c/o John Prassus,
722 State St., LaCrosse, WI 54601. Or e-mail them at:
73173.3543@compuserve.com
[Daniel Hinds]
BEAUTY
Beauty
One of the best demos I've received lately is the 3-song effort from
Beauty, aka Scott Evans. Scott has managed to produce some very pro- sounding
industrial, with nods toward the likes of Skinny Puppy and Fear Factory
but maintaining his own identity. He also incorporates a lot of samples
and does it pretty well, too, which seems to be a rare trait in unsigned
bands.
Structure-wise, the songs are fairly non-standard but stay cohesive.
"Rewind" is probably the most 'normal' sounding tune and is my favorite.
Production and recording are very clean and I would be very surprised if
you didn't start seeing the name Beauty more in the coming years. My only
suggestion is a name change now before it's too late. 'Beauty' just sounds
too generic to me and the music is anything but. Check out his web
page. [Daniel Hinds]
SPINE FOLDER
The Desecration of the Firmament
This nine-song album is the brainchild of one Tim Ebling, yet another
talented Oregonian with an obvious love for electronic music. The thing
that really made it for me was the abundant use of piano, something that
really sets this apart (and above) a lot of the other recent electro releases
I've heard. I wasn't surprised to see in his bio that he studied classical
piano for ten years; it really shows.
The music itself ranges from upbeat industrial-tinged techno to atmospheric
pieces. In fact, a lot of the songs have a real 'new age' feel to them,
resulting in a somewhat soothing (but not boring) listening experience.
Only one song has vocals, which is the only area where I found Spine Folder
to be just average. The singing is okay, but it has the typical distortion
and doesn't really fit the grand scheme of the album, in my opinion.
Still, I think this is a very strong debut release and would recommend
searching the disc out. The programming is inventive, the piano is fresh
and it's just a good listen all the way around. More info on their web
page. [Daniel Hinds] |
