Random Mullet - Lifeless (2005)

These guys are Finnish, and mix pop, tech metal, prog metal, and some other influences. I generally dislike bands that mix too many styles together, and this is no exception, even if the music is well-played. Focus, guys, focus! The music switches from happy sing-along choruses to dissonant tech metal back to melodic metal and then to Meshuggah-style amelodic, syncopated riffing. Even if you like all of the styles presented, the songs are so random that they have no flow to them. I could get over that if the riffs were exceptional, but there's nothing here that really impressed me, either in its execution or its originality. This is a quality product, and the band are skilled with their instruments, but their songwriting could use some work.

This demo is freely available from the band's website.