Ikuinen Kaamos - Closure (2008)

Ikuinen Kaamos are from Finland and play melodic death metal. This freely available EP has three tracks. The title track and "Your Gallows" are both very derivative of Opeth, though they are quite well done. The last track, the 12-minute "The Absence", is more original, reminding me a little of Novembre's Classica. Given that I like both Novembre and Opeth, it should come as no surprise that I like these guys too. The playing is very solid and the production is crystal clear -- this is a top-quality product all around. I'll have to check out their previous release, The Forlorn, and I'll eagerly wait their next recording. With a little more originality, they could be great.

Trizna - Out of Step (1995)

After the first track, the awesomely titled instrumental "Flash In A.S.S.", I had high hopes for this, figuring it would be melodic, semi-technical, mid-90's thrash. Unfortunately, after that point, it devolves into something halfway between thrash and glam metal, perhaps like the bastard son of Deathrow and Warrant. Occasionally, they also throw in some jazzier bits, sounding at times like Steps-era Sieges Even. If you're a fan of cheese metal, you'll probably like this, as it's well-played and moderately diverse. But for me, the first track is the only thing worthwhile.

Interestingly enough, these guys went on to form Faktor Straha, whose 2008 release Tvoy Idealniy Mir has some similarities to this album.

T3h Shred Boiz - LOL (2006)

These guys have quite possibly the stupidest image ever. It's a mix of corpse-painted black metal, shred, and internet geekiness. So who's it supposed to appeal to? Well, people like me I guess. But I'm sure as hell not laughing. This 2006 demo contains three songs, each horrible in its own unique way. It starts off with "Grim Skiez" -- a three minute hyperblast noise fest. Any song that features references to the band playing it automatically sucks, and this one is no exception ("T3h Shred Boiz are in the house"?). Next is "Dead Sky Dawningz", the best track on here, which is a four minute melodic instrumental. It sounds like it would be the backing music for a shred piece, but there's not actually any shredding. Snore. Finally, we have the twelve minute "Grim and Frosbitten Necrophallus", which pointlessly switches between ambient black metal, raw black metal, and acoustic passages.

You can download this demo free from the band's MySpace, if for some reason you are feeling masochistic today.

The Bedlam - Inside Ash (1994)

After the disappointing SoulDaemon, I put on The Bedlam, not knowing what to expect. And I'm still not really sure what I heard. I guess I'd describe it as groovy, alterna-lite-metal. I'm reminded of my (very vague) recollections of Last Crack and the alternative scene in the mid-90's. The vocals are all clean and the guitars are not heavily distorted, giving it a very "rock" vibe, with very little that I'd call metal. The playing is competent, though not at all challenging, but the songs are missing anything to keep me interested.

SoulDaemon - Dead World (2006)

SoulDaemon's claim to fame is that they don't use any guitars -- just bass, vocals, and drum machine. Well, that's a nice gimmick, but are the songs any good? Nope. They're very straightforward, almost punk-simple, and although SD employ death growls, the music isn't aggressive at all. I don't really find much interesting here, and I could barely get through two songs on my way home before turning to something else.

But don't believe me -- hear it for yourself. They've put most of the album free on their website.

Rectum - Enforced Prick (1992)

I was 1 for 3 today. And the one I liked was called Rectum. Go figure. This is a moderately technical thrash demo from a Finnish band that apparently never released anything else. That's a shame, because this is quite good. The songs do a good job of mixing traditional thrash riffs with more intricate sections without overdoing either style, though I could personally go for a little bit less of the traditional thrash. I can't really think of anyone they sound like in particular, but at the same time, this isn't really groundbreaking. It's just a quality demo all around -- playing-wise, production, and composition -- and worth tracking down for those into technical metal.

Warhead - Strange Age (2002)

I'm not really sure what to say about this. It's supposed to be "progressive death metal", but I find it neither progressive nor deathy. Sure, it's got growly vocals, but there's no aggression to the music, it's all mid-paced, samey, and just downright boring. It reminds me a little of some of the melodic death albums from the early-90's like Babylon Sad and Dark Millennium, when bands were starting to branch out and try new things. However, in the early 90's death metal was still pretty new, and it was a whole different genre in 2002. Despite some pretty crisp production and decent playing (and even a few catchy riffs), there's really nothing to recommend tracking this down.

Recalcitrance - Fragmented Reality (1991) and Recalcitrance (1989)

Recalcitrance are a tech thrash band I'd never heard of before getting ahold of these two demos. And here I thought I knew them all. Anyway, this is tech thrash in the style of Hellwitch -- crazy, chaotic, and a little sloppy. Or at least most of it is, excepting the rather boring instrumental "Fragmented Origins" on Fragmented Reality. The earlier demo has more of a punk vibe, whereas the later demo focuses more on speed and craziness, but their styles aren't dramatically different. The songwriting is really not too bad, but the overly chaotic nature of the songs can be a little much sometimes (just like Psyopus can). Though I have to give them credit for including a drum solo at the end of "Unsure Reality". Unfortunately, the guitar solos aren't particularly good, focusing too much on the King/Hanneman school of whammy wankery for my tastes, though they do fit the chaotic style of the music. The production is decent, but I actually prefer the older demo, as on the newer one the vocals are too low in the mix.

Both demos are available from the band's website. If you're into tech thrash, you should check them out.

R.O.T. - Breed the Toxic (1988)

This thrash demo starts off pretty promising for the first minute with some fast-pitched harmonized thrash riffs. Then the vocalist comes in. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!? He kind of sounds like a higher pitched Pete Steele from Type O. After the initial shock, he settles down to sounding more like David Wayne from Metal Church, but he varies his style all over the place for the rest of the demo. The music is actually pretty decent -- it's well played and includes a good variety of riffs and some melodic parts to break up the thrash. The production is very good and there is even a bass solo and some prominent bass playing throughout. It's just a shame that the vocalist has to make a mess of it. Apparently, none of these guys went on to other bands, which is really a shame.

Mytra - Sagittarius (2009) and Ecotone (2007)

This band really surprised me. When I read that these guys play "progressive death metal", I wasn't expecting much, because a lot of bands claim that and then don't deliver. Well, these guys don't deliver "progressive death metal" either, but what they do deliver is some impressive instrumental progressive metal. Their style is a little heavier than what is usually called "progressive metal", but doesn't even come close to death metal. Their base sound includes elements of industrial and electronic mixed in with keyboard-heavy progressive metal featuring lots of guitar leads. A lot of the guitar parts remind me of early Tony MacAlpine, while some of the guitar riffs have the staccato feel of later period Cynic (Focus and Traced in Air). Instrumental bands often have troubles with song composition, as they don't have vocals as a focal point. But these guys really do a good job of constructing their songs and keeping them interesting without becoming show-off pieces. In fact, the guitar solos really aren't the strong point here; the band's songwriting and novel sound are the real draws.

Of the two, Sagittarius is the stronger demo, as it shows the band maturing and refining their style, whereas Ecotone has a few dull songs. Both are very worthy recordings, though. They are available free from the band's website, so if you like heavier instrumental progressive metal, be sure to check them out.

Microcosm - The Umbah Experience (1995)

This demo is a good candidate for "best demo ruined by terrible production". The music is technical/progressive death metal, very good for the mid-90's. It's not as technical as bands of the time like Gory Blister or Thy Nature, but it's more comparable to Disaffected, Droys or Rhadamantys. They mix some jazzier sections in with their more traditional death metal and have some nice guitar leads and some notable bass playing. Unfortunately, the production makes this close to unlistenable for me. There is virtually no midrange, similar to the sound that some black metal bands like. But while it sometimes can help a black metal band produce an eerie or mysterious sound, it doesn't work here as it makes a lot of the intricate sections very hard to hear. And it's a shame really, as this would have been a good demo otherwise. Unfortunately, the band never continued beyond this demo, so we'll never be able to hear what they could have done with decent production.

This demo is available from Umbah's website.

Intruder - Psycho Savant (1991)

As I was listening to this in my car, I was trying to determine what year it was released. The style is pretty typical of the late 80's, with slightly aggressive vocals punctuated by high notes for accent, and repetitive, simplistic thrash riffs. There's not a lot of technicality the way we know it today (or even compared to bands like Toxik and Watchtower in the late 80's). About the only thing that stands out are some of the guitar leads. When they focus on being appropriate for the song or trying to actually say something, they work, but sometimes they're seemingly just there to fill the space where the guitar solo goes. Ultimately, I concluded that this would have been a pretty good release for the mid 80's, a decent release in the late 80's to early 90's, and sub-par for 1993 and beyond. Turns out it was released in 1991, so it's safely in the "decent but not exceptional" category.

Kudos to the band for making this available from their website.

Forgotten Souls - Maeth (2005)

Forgotten Souls are Polish, and play a blend of death metal, black metal, and whatever other kinds of influences they can throw in. They have a theatrical vibe reminiscent of Cradle of Filth, and I've heard influences ranging from carnival music, to In Extremo-like medieval stuff, to poppy goth, to Indian melodies, and lots and lots of cheesy keyboards. They also have several styles of vocals, but the most prominent seem to be this horribly overdramatic clean (male) singer. I think without his singing, I could stomach this a lot better, though it's still a little disjointed for my tastes. But at least the playing is competent and the production is solid, even if I don't fully agree with their musical vision.

The songs on their Myspace page seem better than these, if only because of the more aggressive vocals.

Absurd Conflict - promo 2003

This is some pretty average melodic death metal/thrash. They describe themselves as "technical", but I don't hear much technicality. And really, I don't find a lot here to get excited either way about. Make no mistake: this is a quality release: the production is clean and powerful, the solos are tasteful, and the playing is competent. But it's just missing that extra something that would make me want to listen to this more than once.

This demo is available from their website.

Dying Spirit - Rebirth (2006)

Dying Spirit are from Poland and are trying to play technical death metal with some melody. I say "trying" because they're really not getting the "technical" part. Or at least, their music would be considered technical if they could actually play it. Instead, we get a mess of off-time and out-of-tune death metal. Compositionally, they're about on the level of Descend into Nothingness. But technically, I'm reminded of bands like Liers in Wait's Spiritually Uncontrolled Art and Epoch of Unlight's first album. So there's some potential here, but not until they clean up their act a little.

This is available as a free download from their website.

Nekropolis - demo 2004

This is some pretty decent death metal from Serbia. Their music is a mix of death metal with thrash/speed metal and some melody. It's nothing groundbreaking, but they do it well and with conviction. I find the solos to be one of the weak points, as they're generally uninspired and seemingly just there to fill some space. But the production is top quality (for being recorded in a home studio) and the band are certainly professional about what they do. It's no surprise that they've signed a deal to release a full-length later this year.

This whole demo is available on their website.

Duobetic Homunkulus - Casti a Mechanismy Stroju (2006)

I've enjoyed the Czech / Slovak scene ever since I found Dissonance's Look to Forget (the lost Death album between Spiritual Healing and Human). These guys are one of the best I've heard in that scene, with a very unique brand of progressive, semi-technical death metal. They don't sound like a clone of anyone, but their music has a base of death metal with some progressive touches (such as piano parts mixed in with the heavy guitars where you least expect them), and some very prominent bass playing (recalling bands like Ghostorm and Pavor). They even mix in some pop music a la Waltari at the end of "Dr. Norden". They do a very good job blending their ideas together, avoiding the disjointed, kitchen-sink sound that some progdeath bands end up with. That's not to say that all of the transitions make a lot of sense, but at least I'm left with the sense that they know what they're doing. Plus they have the technical skill to pull off some of their ideas, and while there isn't a lot of flashy technicality on display, the playing is of a very high quality throughout.

This is strongly recommended for fans of progressive death metal. It's available on the band's website as a free download.

System Addict - 1991 Demo

Many years ago, I tracked down System Addict's 1992 EP Sickness and Wealth, after hearing that it was "technical metal". Well, that's not really an accurate description, but I enjoyed it for what it was worth. And this demo is much in the same style: funky melodic metal/rock with a variety of influences. I think an appropriate word for this demo is "nifty". That sums up the playing (which is competent and at times a little flashy) and the songs themselves, which are upbeat and trying hard to be clever and "cool". It's not really my style, but it is done pretty well.

Starseed - Cosmic Conspiracy (1997)

This is some pretty decent melodic death with a bit of a symphonic edge. For 1997, it's a pretty impressive release. I'm surprised they never did anything beyond this (supposedly they split up in 2000 while recording their first full-length). Anyway, the music is death metal with some infusion of melody, pretty standard for the late 90's. About the only complaints I have are that some of the guitar solos are a little dodgy and that it's missing that little extra something to really grab my attention. So while I enjoyed listening to this, I doubt that I'll listen to it again.

By the way, this EP is available for free download on the band's MySpace page.

Heresy of Thieves - The Montana Complex (2008)

This is a frustrating album, because it sounds so close to really getting good, but never really gets there. The band describe themselves as "Hardcore/Death Metal/Experimental", but most of the time it sounds like typical metalcore to me. On the other hand, they do mix in some atmospheric and melodic parts to diversify their sound. But what really gets me is that quite often they seemed really close to just going all Gorguts on us, but they backed off and went for a more traditional approach instead. Now that would have earned them the "experimental" tag. Anyway, this is quality stuff, if a little typical. The playing is good (though some of the guitar leads are pretty sloppy) and the production is crystal clear and powerful.

Oh, and I have to give these guys credit for releasing this album free on the internet. You can get it from their MySpace page. Download it and if you like it, send them a few bucks.

Mataburro - War in the Woods (2004)

I had high hopes for this, as I usually like stuff that's described as "weird". But this doesn't have much to redeem it. The music is somewhat punk and somewhat thrash, with some melody mixed in. It has a tendency to get repetitive at times, and at other times it will do something different for really no good reason. But by far the worst aspect is the vocals. They're a mix of shouted vocals -- which are fine -- and sung vocals that are usually done with a gang chorus that's so out of tune it sounds like a group of drunk frat boys. Boring music + terrible vocals == a recipe for something to avoid.

Abstract - Reverie (1999)

These guys impressed the heck out of me with their tracks on the 1994 Avowals compilation. That was some awesome technical death with a good dose of originality and some great guitar and bass work. This unreleased EP features one of those songs ("Towards Sumer We Soar", my least favorite track), but in a slowed down and lighter version. And unfortunately, that's the best song here. Some of the other songs are similar in style, such as "Off World Endeavor". However, "Disgust and Hate" is really more thrash/punk, "Contact" is somewhat like early Novembre, and "Quantum Leap" has almost a pop feel to it. That said, despite the inconsistencies in the style, the quality of the recording and the playing is quite good. This EP is floating around the internet, so you might as well check it out, but if you're into technical death metal, track down the Avowals comp. I saw it available for $5 online a few months ago.

Tynator - 1990 Sampler

This is some pretty good, semi-technical thrash. Unfortunately, there are only two songs here: "Forced Control" (the better track) and "Excuses" (which is more generic). The playing is good and even the production is pretty decent (it's muddy, but you can actually hear the bass). This isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it's solid for the style and even still pretty interesting. It's a shame they never released anything after this demo, but based on this I'll have to check out their previous full-length, Living in Pain.

Ritual Sacrifice - Bury the Living (1993)

This is a decent thrash demo from the early 90's. In style, it reminds me of Sadus, though heavier and not as technical. The playing is competent though not particularly challenging. The songs have a good mix of tempos and generally move along pretty well, even if there doesn't seem to be much novel thought in how they are constructed. Ultimately, this seems like an above average demo for the time, but doesn't hold much interest now.

Their Myspace page contains the best song, "Drop Dead", from this demo.

Don Caballero - Punkgasm (2008)

I really like Don Cab's 2. It's probably in my top 100 favorite albums. But since then, their career has moved them further and further from the style I enjoy. This album includes vocals. That's one big minus right there. But it also seems punkier/rockier and less abstract than their previous work. Che's drumming also seems less interesting to me, though perhaps I'm just comparing to the show-off pieces on 2. In any case, this is pretty solid for math rock, but there aren't really any standout tracks here and I really didn't get much out of it.

Silent Scream - the Last Rites (1989)

The cool thing about going through old demos is that sometimes you find something that's really good and somehow got overlooked. This is not that case. The demo starts off good enough; the two minute intro to "Thanatopsis" is actually pretty good. However, after that brief intro, this degenerates into generic late 80's thrash. At least the vocals are grunted rather than high-pitched. But this is completely forgettable.

Forbidden Forest - Enter (2007)

I'm not really sure what these guys are trying to achieve. But what they end up with is a mish-mash of various styles, including various subgenres of death metal, 70's rock, 90's Metallica, and 80's pop-metal. Their mixing of styles doesn't work very well, and while some of the riffs are actually decent, there is nothing here you haven't heard before.

Their MySpace has three of the five tracks on this demo.

Fischel's Beast - demo (2008)

Well, the first song, "Commencement Forbidden" is pretty good, especially the second half. After that, the rest of the demo sounds like power/progmetal from the mid-90's, both in style and production. The playing is solid, the writing is pretty decent, and the vocals are decent but not exceptional. I'm a little surprised that this is a recent demo because it sounds pretty dated. Not something I'll listen to much, but the first track might show up in my random playlists from time to time.

Check out the whole demo yourself at their Myspace.

Exordium:418 - Demo 2004

This was billed as technical death metal, but all I hear is straight up death metal mixed with grindcore. There are some slower doomy sections, but none of it really stands out at all to me. Pretty boring.

Derelict - Ideological Prey (2006)

Some decent melodic, semi-technical death/thrash. A little sloppy in places, but they've at least got some good ideas. Even the short non-metal instrumental "Gently Led into Complacence" is pretty decent. They're at their best when they're doing more melodic and progressive stuff. I hope they've continued in that direction with their offering from last year. Based on this album, I'll have to check that one out.

Brutality - Metamorphosis (1991)

Before the brilliant Screams of Anguish, Brutality put out this demo. It has three tracks, with one of them ("Mausoleum of Infringing Evil") eventually appearing on SoA under a different name ("Septicemic Plague"). Their style was already pretty well established, but what I find missing in this demo are the extraordinary guitar leads that made SoA the classic that it is. Other than that, it's quality death metal with some thrash tendencies featuring semi-technical guitarwork and tight playing. Unfortunately, while "Mausoleum" really shines, the other two tracks are pretty bland, making this demo just a curiosity at this point.

Let's start with my backlog

Absentation - Unpredictable Perspective (Death Chapter) (2005):

Well, this isn't so great. Kinda sloppy death metal. Well, at least the vocals are death metal, but the music is somewhere between death and thrash. They have a few good ideas, but the execution is pretty bad: the guitar solos really suck, the playing is sloppy and the guitar tone is really overdistorted. This won't get a second listen.


Akaname - Filthlicker (2007):

Yeah, that's an appropriate name for this ep. It's dirty death metal, maybe with some hardcore. Doesn't do much for me, though to be fair the later tracks get a little better, with the last track "Anomolos" being something I might listen to again, and a few decent spastic riffs in "Eye of the Liger". And the band are competent at what they do, it just doesn't interest me much.


Alchemist - Eternal Wedlock (1987):

This is a really impressive demo for 1987. Heck, it's still pretty good 22 years later. This is their first demo, long before they released the impressive Jar of Kingdom. I'll have to dig that one out again. Anyway, this is pretty cool thrash, with some fast double bass drumming and some technical guitar work. It also shows some traces of the aboriginal influences that would become part of their trademark. Really ahead of its time. I'm glad I tracked this one down.

It all started when...

Well, my company moved our offices a few weeks back, and my commute got longer. Plus, I've got more music than I probably will ever be able to listen to. So one day I had a bright idea: I'll get an mp3 player and listen to new stuff in my car on the way to and from work. Brilliant!

So that worked well for a few weeks, but then I thought that it might be a good idea to write down what I thought of stuff for future reference. And why not put it in a blog? So this blog was born. I plan to update it every couple of weekdays, or whenever I listen to something new. We'll see how long it lasts...