THE ASSAULT-
Selected New Tracks
US Demo CD 2004
5 TRACKS: Valley Of The Dolls – The OC – We’re Fucked – Kiss Of Death – Folk Song For Lumi
THE ASSAULT distinguish their music from others through tempo changes. They can go from a folk sound with thin vocals or the blues to rock in just two seconds. It comes as a surprise. Just when you start thinking this band is going to rock, they start rocking. Two of the songs are based on fiction, three are about people the band knows. “The OC” raises questions about fictional characters in a television show. They never stop to question, how they’re living as a real person sometimes does. In the show they don't think about their health. You'd think the OC characters would have caught a contagious disease or worn out their bodies long time ago. But they’re just fictional. “Valley Of The Dolls” alternates between fast and slow, separated by Julie Pop's drum rolls. Margot Bianca’s guitar notes can be heard clearly. This is all supported by Laura Leontine on bass. The two part vocals during the fast parts stand out. “We're Fucked” lasts 2:48. The first 1:30 is about a bad decision. The last minute is stronger. It's about going on, even if other people think you’re wrong. THE ASSAULT isn't all rock. It isn't all art either. If you like a tasteful combination of both, you'll like the new tracks.
LINE UP: Julie Pop (d/v), Margot Bianca (g/v) Laura Leontine (b/v)
ADDRESS: THE ASSAULT, c/o PMB #30, 302 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA.
WEBSITE: theassaultonrock.com
EMAIL: theassault@hotmail.com
by: Jack Little (MM#40/Summer 2005)
CRESCENT SHIELD-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Red Crescent Moon – Await The Champion – The Last Of My Kind
Wanna hear something really special? Better check out the demo out of CRESCENT SHIELD, the new band of former NEW EDEN, SINERGY and IRON MAIDENS bass player Melanie Sisneros. Their epic metal is a good mix of bands like IRON MAIDEN, JAG PANZER and MANILLA ROAD. The vocalist reminds me a bit of Harry ‘The Tyrant’ Conklin, and the Dutch singer Kees van Keulen of SANITY. Also a name like Schmoulik Avigal (HAMMERHEAD, PICTURE, THE RODS) comes to mind. Opener “Red Crescent Moon” is a great up tempo song, with awesome rhythm guitar and a very powerful chorus. “Await The Champion” is short and also real powerful, in the better JAG PANZER style. It’s the sound of warriors going to the battlefield. However, the band saved the very best for last. The acoustic intro of “The Last Of My Kind” already promises a heavy explosion, and next up we hear a great heavy epic masterpiece. With wonderful high pinching vocals and chorusses, that give this song a face of its own. When the guitars start to cry, you know, that you’re listening to some high quality metal music. Especially after realising, that we’re only listening to raw demo material. Of course we’re not dealing with totally newcomers in the scene. All the bandmembers have played in great metal bands, before they all came together and formed CRESCENT SHIELD. But this isn’t always a guarantee, that the new band is of the same high quality. CRESCENT SHIELD however is a nice example of how things can turn out well, because these three songs definitely ask for more. Can’t wait to hear their full-length debut album, which should be available later this year.
LINE UP: Michael Grant (v), Dan Delucie (g/bv), Melanie Sisneros (b), Craig Anderson (dr)
ADDRESS: CRESCENT SHIELD, c/o Melanie Sisneros, P.O. Box 846, Claremento, CA 91711, USA.
WEBSITE: www.crescentshield.com
EMAIL: info@crescentshield.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#40/Summer 2005)
EVE’S DOWNFALL-
Demo 2005
US Demo CD 2005
4 TRACKS: Sewer Rat – You Will Never Win – Broken Arm – Why
EVE’S DOWNFALL started their career back in 2000 in Illinois, USA. They present us their four track demo here, containing some dark doom death songs. Think about BLACK SABBATH (the powerful riffs) in combination with black and death metal screams. The band has relocated to Los Angeles, where they are ready to take on the scene by surprise. “Sewer Rat” has got all the ingredients, that I just mentioned. It sounds like some kind of DEATH SABBATH, if you catch my drift. “You Will Never Win” is very interesting indeed. There’s again the strong riffing, but I also hear a very high voice, which reminds me a bit of MERCYFUL FATE or KING DIAMOND. It’s not exactly the same, but the use of two different voices creates that same schizophrenic effect. The song ends with a guitar solo. In “Broken Arm” the vocals are angry again, and demo closer “Why” contains some nice musical ideas. The future will tell, if the move from Illinois to Los Angeles has brought the band what they were searching for, but these four songs already give us a nice pre-taste of their musical abilities.
LINE UP: Myssi Sauder (g,v), Eric Billing (d), Michelle Lazzarini (b)
WEBSITE: www.evesdownfall.com
EMAIL: evesdownfall@yahoo.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#40/Summer 2005)
MATRIARCH-
Black Apples
Puerto Rico Demo CD 2003-2004
4 TRACKS: Black Apples – El Último Viaje – Avalonia – Sinful Decadence (2004)
We don’t hear too much music from Puerto Rico, but this four track demo CD comes from an all-female band from this country. Originally, it was a three track demo, but they added a fourth song to it, which was orignally released as a single in 2004. The three songs on this demo are quite lengthy and have a very interesting sound. Brutal, gore, aggressive growls are mixed with a beautiful sorprano voice. You may say, that this was done before, but not by an all-female band. The music has a lot of variation, and is described by the band itself as ‘Female Operatic Death metal’ - a description that fits the music perfectly. It almost sounds like the soundtrack of an old, black and white horror movie. The three voices that are in the band, are described as ‘the voice of temptation’, ‘the rotten soul’ and ‘the slice of destruction’, because next to the soprano and the deathgrowls, there’s also a normal voice to be heard here. For some people this may be too much, and too messy, but I kinda liked their ideas and the way they performed it. The second song begins at breakneck speed. It’s again a lengthy song, in which they’ve added a lot of nice musical ideas. While “Avalonia” starts dark and slow. It’s more gothic than the rest, but still the brutal growls are there again of course. The last song shows us how the band sounds today, when keyboard player Michelle has left the band. It opens with a spooky, horror like intro and then the death vocals are added and the music enters the room with destroying power. Musically, they didn’t change too much here, but they sound better and more structured than on the three other demo songs. By the way: bass player Isabelle made the beautiful drawing on their demo sleeve! MATRIARCH is a very promising band and Puerto Rico can be proud of them! That’s my final conclusion after almost thirty minutes of this heavenly female operatic death metal!
LINE UP: Shamara Irizarry (d), Isabell Conde (b), Vanessa Urrutia (soprano vocals, g), Aracelis Lopez (v,g) and Michelle Baez (keys, on the three track demo only)
ADDRESS: MATRIARCH c/o, Estaniasde Sant Iunando Street 9 9-8, Cardina Puerto Rico 00989.
WEBSITE: www.matriarch.com
EMAIL: matriarchpr@yahoo.com or matriarch_blackapples@hotmail.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#40/Summer 2005)
PRINCESS RIOT-
Growing Pains
CAN Demo CD 2004
1 TRACK: Growing Pains
One of the best changes I've seen in music is, that girls now speak from their own point of view. About themselves and from their own experience. When the world was only composed of guy bands, you didn't get that. PRINCESS RIOT do a good job of this on their song “Growing Pains”. It includes comments like "The girl in the mirror isn’t a girl anymore". That's as good as a discription of realizing you’ve grown up, as you'll find. There’s a recurring line “It can't be over now?" The uptempo music makes this all seem exciting. It's more like punk rock than anything. Lindz bass guitar stands out during frequent instrumental breaks, while Yohan plays the guitar part well. Both do some of the vocals. Former drummer Sara (who was replaced by Colin, as we speak) sets a good pace on drums. They use different styles on other songs. This will keep them from getting boring. PRINCESS RIOT say they’re out to rock the world. Judging by this demo, they’re off to a good start.
(current) LINE UP: Lindz (lv/b), Yohan (g/bv), Val (g/bv), Colin (dr)
WEBSITE: www.princessriot.cjb.net
EMAIL: princessriot@hotmail.com
by: Jack Little (MM#40/Summer 2005)
SABINAS REX-
Praise The King
US Demo CD 2005
6 TRACKS: When – Praise The King – The Way Somewhere Else – I Still See You – The March Of Misery – Forward Forever
In this band we find back a mix of European and American musicians. Borders are disappearing, which is good. The music of SABINAS REX can be described as atmospheric epic metal. The songs have a lot of variation. I hear flute playing in opener “When”, and a guitar sound that’s a mix of WARLORD and BROCAS HELM, but with some German sounding metal vocals in the chorusses. Singer Jana has got a dark voice, that goes pretty well with the voice of Baron Misuraca, which is even darker and lower. “Praise The King” reminds me of LORDIAN GUARD, because of the dark voices and the great guitar playing of Edwin Shirey. The whole demo CD breathes a mystical atmosphere. Sometimes it even sounds quiet and calm, but still they know to impress me. In “The Way Somewhere Else”, the speed goes up, and we hear the great keyboard sound of Vlado Kormos, who also plays the bass guitar. For a moment my thoughts go out to EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER. Talk about variation here, after mentioning all these heavier names in the beginning of this review. But this song has got some more influences of bands like URIAH HEEP or DEEP PURPLE maybe. In “I Still See You”, the voice of Baron Misuraca reminded me of DAVID BOWIE singing in an atmospheric metal band. Think about that combination and think about how fascinating this might sound. The only thing that you might miss in the sound of SABINAS REX is the driving force of a good drummer, but on the other hand the music also sounds very well without it. The twenty-five minute adventure comes to an end with “The March Of Misery” and “Forward Forever”. We hear a bit more of Jana’s vocals in “The March Of Misery”, while “Forward Forever” is a short, instrumental closer of this nice demo CD. Atmospheric and epic metal goes very well together, but sometimes the music might need a little more power to hit the people right in the face. Now it will only hit the ones, who are open for the majestic sound of this band from Brooklyn, New York City. I loved it, so how about you??
LINE UP: Baron Misuraca (v), Jana Steiger (v), Edwin Shirey (g) and Vlado Kormos (keys/b/g/ programming)
ADDRESS: SABINAS REX, c/o Vlado Kormos, 1548 West 5 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204, USA.
WEBSITE: www.sabinasrex.com
EMAIL: info@sabinasrex.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#40/Summer 2005)
SYLVIA TRENCH-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
4 TRACKS: Something Like Wet – Broken – Tempted - Watch Out
Suppose BLONDIE had been more influenced by hard rock instead of dance music. Something with stronger rhythms and more intensity. Then they would have sounded like SYLVIA TRENCH. Jen Worges (guitar) and Becky Pingston (bass) are forceful. Chris Springsteen is strong on drums, but blends well with the bands overall sound. Amy Kozak's vocals are easy to understand. They are strained, when necessary. Usually, she's strong. The CD opens with “Something Like Wet”. It's exciting sounding, a fun rhythmic jam. A sexy lady wants a man to get even closer to her. She's blunt in statements, like the early PAT BENATAR songs are. “Broken” is from a woman’s point of view, who doesn't want a permanent relationship. She doesn't want to belong to any man. That would make her feel kept. There's a certain conviction in her words. The music backs it up by being heavier and faster. Another song about girls who are out for excitement not love is “Tempted”. The intro features higher, more strained vocals. She's met a cool guy. He’s overcoming her fear of him. She knows he’s playing the game, too. She also knows he may yet win. Some of these songs will be on the soundtrack of the forthcoming movie “How To Pick Up Chicks: A Dummies Guide”. It sounds like a good place for them. Sluts rule!
LINE UP: Jen Worges (g), Amy Kozak (v), Becky Pingston (b), Chris Springsteen (dr)
ADDRESS: c/o Adam Yoling, 1113 Arthur, Kalamazoo, MI 49049, USA.
EMAIL: info@sylviatrench.com
WEBSITE: www.sylviatrench.com
by: Jack Little (MM#40/Summer 2005)
DENDURA-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
5 TRACKS: I Have A Gun – Mena, Mena - Rough Skin – My Given Seeds - Rage
Since a lot of DENDURA's songs start with keyboard intros, I'll start from there. The keyboards are played by Alicia Menninga. That's different from the guitar I'm used to. Amy Poggi sings and writes the words to these songs. She's not as high pitched as some of the goth girls. This is good, if you ask me. She is able to express tension and strain with her voice. Some will call this progressive music. It's not the usual goth sound. The songs aren’t overly long. They’re atmospheric without going to extremes. Fans of industrial music might like this too. It's a little of all of these types of music. A listenable mixture of all of them. The songs are not about happy subjects. Take “I Have A Gun”. There's a lot of emotion in this. It has a sizeable keyboard intro punctuated with cymbals. The vocals sound desperate. It’s from the point of view of someone with a gun. The CD ends with “Rage”. It's a slow plodder. Sometimes rage is have to come to terms with to express. Sometimes unexpressable. With the resources available to them, DENDURA do it quite well. If some record label picked them up, the production would be better. A producer could add sounds here and there. For now, you get the unaltered sound of DENDURA.
LINE UP: Alicia Menninga (keys), Amy Poggi (v), Mike Fatzinger (b), Steve Wethy (g/bv), Arzachel (dr)
WEBSITE: www.dendura.com
EMAIL: dendurabooking@yahoo.com
by: Jack Little (MM#39/March 2005)
ILLUMION-
Into The Labyrinth
NL Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Silent Breeze – Into The Labyrinth – Breathing Room
This three song promo CD contains sixteen minutes of nice prog rock music. The band consists of three ladies and two male members, and I hear some very good musical ideas in these three songs. The complex structures of the songs, show us that the band is not chosing to do things the easy way. Lengthy instrumental parts and the clear vocals of Esther Ladiges (ENTROPY) in opener “Silent Breeze” bring bands like FATES WARNING to mind, in a slightly lighter version. In “Into The Labyrinth”, Esther’s voice reminded me a bit of the vocal parts of Liselotte Hegt (ex-CIRRHA NIVA), which may also be a nice comparision for this band. There are touches of KATE BUSH and TORI AMOS in her voice as well, in this song. The jazzy part in the middle of the song, make the music also a bit lighter. The guitar solo of Eveline however, sounds just perfect. The CD closes with “Breathing Room”, which contains a long instrumental part plus impressive drum and guitar part. There is definitely potential in this band, and this promo is the first step on the ladder to a hopefully bigger success. We’d like to thank Willem of AFTER THE SILENCE for making us aware of the talents of these five musicians.
LINE UP: Eveline van Kampen (g), Esther Ladiges (v/grunts), Eveline Simons (keys), Emile Boellaard (dr), Peter H. Boer (b)
WEBSITE: not mentioned
EMAIL: evelinevk@hotmail.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
THE MISSES-
4 Play
US Demo CD 2004
4 TRACKS: Bye – Manhunt – Blonde - Different
THE MISSES play a simple kind of punk rock. They have more in common with the 1970's punk sound. None of the songs last over three minutes. Sikki Nixx (Nikki Sixx re-arranged) does a good job on vocals. She can deepen her voice. This allows her to sound strong or sexy. Misses Robinskin bangs out a strong and steady drum part. Lay Low and Olata Luv do everything that’s necessary on guitars. The four songs on this demo are from a woman’s point of view who charts her own course. The CD starts with “Bye”. It opens with the sound of footsteps. It turns out, she's kicking him out of the house. She has concluded, that he's no good. There are frequent tempo changes. Then there's “Manhunt”. The woman, who's speaking is hunting for a man. We’re at the beginning of the hunt. It's the excitement and anticipation of a woman, who's on the prowl. “Blonde” has a soft intro. Soft parts alternate with thumping, stomping passages. The speaker says, that she's born to be blonde. She wants other people to think of her the way they think of blondes. Fastest is about a tough chick. She says "I'm the coolest bitch you'll ever see." If this is what you think punk should be, you will like these girls.
LINE UP: Misses Sikki Nixx (v), Misses Lay Low (g), Misses Olota Luv (b), Misses Robinskin (skins)
ADDRESS: The Misses, 4309 Sunshine Dr., St Louis, MO 67116, USA.
WEBSITE: www.meatthemisses.com
EMAIL: meatthemisses@aol.com
by: Jack Little (MM#39/March 2005)
MONEY POWER-
Evil
NL Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Deep End – Fuck The System! – Evil Pope
Three short and very powerful metal songs are on this demo CD. The raw throat of Andre (who also plays in MOSSFET) growls his provocative lyrics into the mike, while he plays some evil riffs. Drummer Ruud is a super hero to me, because he also plays in Dutch cult metal band FUTURE TENSE (was this new album out already??). Joanne is the female addition to the band, and she plays the bass guitar. “Deep End” is only just a pre-taste of things to come. With “Fuck The System”, the band puts the pedal to the metal. Great riffs fill my room, and I see my neighbours run out of their houses, searching for a decent place to hide. There’s no escape however, because the music these people make comes straigth out of their hearts! I love those thrashy riffs in this song, and in my thoughts I already see tons of long hair waving up and down. “Evil Pope” is on next. What a great title for a very conservative village as Asperen (which is situated near Leerdam)! It’s even more speedy than the previous songs. Some of the vocals remind me of Count August of GODDESS OF DESIRE. I sure will keep an eye open on this band in the near future, ‘cos this sounds very promising and very METAL indeed! Oh yeah, and FUCK THE SYSTEM!!
LINE UP: Ruud (d), André (v,g), Joanne (b)
TEL: 06-46157078 (Joanne)
WEBSITE:
www.geocities.com/partyinhell/Money_Power.html
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
PHOENIX REIGN-
S/T
US Demo CD 2005
4 TRACKS: Another Night Alone – Power – Shredder – One More Rendezvous
Just like TWILIGHT ODYSSEY, this band hails from NYC. They’ve shared the stage already with bands like GEORGE LYNCH, GOTHIC KNIGHTS, ZANDELLE, WINGER and RIOT. And their sound is easy to describe. It’s melodic heavy metal, nothing more and nothing less. Three members of this five piece outfit orginate from Greece, and vocalist Theresa Gaffney is the newest addition to the band line up. The demo contains four songs and about twenty minutes of true metal. I hear some IRON MAIDEN influences in their music. Opener “Another Night Alone” is a great example of what to expect from this band. While “Power” starts off less powerful than expected by a song with a title like that. However, as soon as the speed goes up, you can’t really sit down quietly anymore and your head starts banging to the rhythm! Great guitar solo, by the way! “Shredder” is another good song, but again I had expected a bit more power maybe. The demo CD, which came in a beautiful DVD box, closes with “One More Rendezvous”. Another melodic ballad like song, with a flashing guitar solo in the middle. PHOENIX REIGN may be a promise for the future. The talent is definitely there, and they prove that by means of these four songs.
LINE UP: Theresa Gaffney (v), Billy Chrissochos (g), Chris Pollatos (b), Kostas Psarros (g), Wayne Noon (dr)
ADDRESS: PHOENIX REIGN, c/o Billy Chrissochos, 38-11 Ditmars Blvd. Suite 394, Astoria, NY 11105, USA.
EMAIL: kalavrita1821@aol.com
WEBSITE: www.PhoenixReign.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
7TH CIRCLE-
Unsummon
BEL Demo CD 2003
5 TRACKS: Unsummon – Jade – Transience – Unsummon (extended version) – Jade (extended version)
This Belgian melodic rock band started their career in 1994 as HENRY V. In 1998, they changed their name into 7TH CIRCLE, and a lot of line up changes took place over the years. Winnie Versmissen is the female voice in the band right now, and she can be heard on this five track demo, that contains thirty-five minutes of melodic, gothic based metal. Think of early THE GATHERING here. Mainly because the voice of Winnie shows some resemblance to Anneke’s voice here and there. This demo was already released in 2003, but I think it’s still essential to review it here. The sound of the band is good, and it contains some very interesting progressive like parts sometimes. Just listen to the song “Jade” for example. The band already supported EVERGREY, which is a very good start indeed. “Transience” is a lengthy epical song. Same goes for the extended version of “Unsummon”. Only the first three songs on this five song demo are mentioned on the CD! People, who like bands like FLOWING TEARS, LACUNA COIL and THE GATHERING must keep their eyes open for this band. But also fans of the more progressive metal style might want to check them out.
LINE UP: Sam Oerlemans (g), Winnie Versmissen (v), Martial Bonnetain (d), Tony Lemmens (keys), Jasper Van Tilburgh (b)
ADDRESS: Sam Oerlemans, L. van Berckenlaan 126, 2600 Antwerp, Belgium.
EMAIL: sam.oerlemans@skynet.be
WEBSITE: www.7thcircle.be
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
STORM WITHIN-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
STORM WITHIN did it again! They already surprised us with another four track demo (see review in MM#28/June ’02), which contained some very good heavy metal. Well, on this demo they pursued this course and impressed me again with their high energy metal and fast guitar solos. Opener “Prideheart” is okay, and the guitar solo is very impressive. Next we hear “Listen”, with its NWOBHM like sound. This is really exciting stuff! Debra Darlene has got a great voice and a great powerful band backing her up. The sound of the band may appeal to both the old and the new generation of heavy metal fans. They already shared the stage with bands like SACRED REICHE, TESLA, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and most recently VELVET RE-VOLVER. So, the future looks very bright for STORM WITHIN. I think it’s strange, that this band is still searching for proper management and a record label, who is willing to support them. If you like your rock and metal loud, then don’t hesitate and do yourself a big favour with this three track, fifteen minutes demo!
LINE UP: Debra Darlene (v), Michael Redstone (g), Chuck Klee (B), Benny Dickson (d)
ADDRESS: STORM WITHIN, Jack Squall Productions, 318 E. Glade Ave. , Mesa, AZ 85210, USA.
EMAIL: stormwithin@yahoo.com
WEBSITE: www.stormwithin.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
SYLVER MYST-
Strains Of Souls
NL Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Lovtred – Strains Of Souls – Waiting For A New Day
Marjolein Hüsken is the female vocalist of this Dutch metal band. The set up has been done before. It’s the angel like voice of Marjolein against some brutal male vocals. The first band, that comes to mind, while listening to opener “Lovtred”, is ORPHANAGE. Title track “Strains Of Souls” is another good example of the musical direction of SYLVER MYST. The soft/wild duet voices are backed up by a technical good band, showing that they can handle their instruments pretty well. The songs have enough room for their musical skills, and a good example here is the intro of this second track. It builds up slowly to the vocal parts without getting boring, while at the same time they prove we’re not dealing with another average band. You can hear a lot of young talent on these three songs. The twelve minute demo closes with an uptempo rock song called “Waiting For A New Day”. The duet voices in the last two songs sound different than the first song. We hear two clear voices and not the brutal grunts anymore. In the last song, we even hear two female voices, if I’m not mistaken. SYLVER MYST’s musical ideas are quite nice, so keep an eye open for them in the near future.
LINE UP: Marjolein Hüsken (v), Marc Jaspers (dr), Ronald van der Rijt (b/grunts), Bart Spackler (keys), Didier Roumen (lg), Rob van Dijk (g/grunts)
EMAIL: jean@sylvermyst.nl
WEBSITE: www.sylvermyst.nl
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
TRISOMY-
V
NL Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Freaked Mind – Cold Feet – All Alone
TRSIOMY already impressed us on stage a while ago. And with their new singer Martine Thijs, they seem to have found the perfect match to their slighty progressive gothic metal sound. The fact, that Martine can also play the violin is a positive advantage. In “Freaked Mind”, we also hear that TRISOMY is more than just another average gothic metal band. Their music has got a lot of exciting speed and mood changes, and it is very tight. No long freaky passages, but tracks with an average length and still enough power and variation to hold everyones attention. “Cold Feet” is a bit more in the style of WITHIN TEMPTATION, because of the string arrangements in the beginning of the song. It’s very suitable for radio airplay. Last song “All Alone” is a ballad, and it’s the longest track on this sixteen minute, three track demo. It would have been nice, if Martine’s violin playing would have been given a proper place in the music of TRISOMY, like DELPHIAN does with the flute playing of their vocalist for example. But besides that, this demo sounds pretty good. Good production, and definitely a worthy debut for new vocalist Martine. You can download these three songs from their website, but you can also order the demo directly from the band (5 Euros). TRISOMY surely is a name to remember.
LINE UP: Martine Thijs (v, violin), Michiel van Veen (g), Maarten Siem (synths), Pieter v/d Berkmortel (b), Frank Kraak (d)
EMAIL: info@trisomy.nl
WEBSITE: http://www.trisomy.nl
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
ZEENON-
Arbor Vitae
NOR Demo CD 2004
4 TRACKS: Superior Control System – Arbor Vitae – Immunization – Post Absurd
I believe, that the music of ZEENON is changing places with the ultra brutal death metal sound of great death metal adepts like MORBID ANGEL and CANNIBAL CORPSE. The four new songs, with a total playing time of seventeen minutes, enter my room like a steamtrain, slowly moving my intestines to my throat. I didn’t even know, this was possible. These unusual medical changes were caused by opener “Superor Control System”. “Arbor Vitae” opens with the same brutal riffs, and deep, bloody growls. There are three female members in this band, as you may know already. And now I know for sure, that they are Norway’s most brutal ladies in the metal scene. The power and energy, they display on this disc is almost unhuman. Just listen to “Immunization”. Again I hear some PANTERA like riffs. Where is this coming from? I think it’s because the heavy riffs of Linda Aurland have this old school metal vibe underneath. It’s hard to explain, but I hear it every time I listen to ZEENON. The brutalness is over, after the last notes of “Post Absurd”. The band has grown big time, and they also got rid of the industrial influences on their previous demo. If you want to scare the shit out of your neighbours, you’ll know what to do. Just buy the freaking demo! So, when you are into brutal death metal, then ZEENON is the thing for you.
LINE UP: Linn Pedersen (v), Linda Aurland (g), Elin Henden (b), Mads Gulbekkhei (dr)
ADDRESS: c/o Linda Aurland, Schous Plass 5, 0552 Oslo, NORWAY.
EMAIL: zeenon@online.no
WEBSITE: www.zeenon.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#39/March 2005)
DELPHIAN-
S/T
NL Demo CD 2004
5 TRACKS: Wrong Turn - Labyrinth - Intermezzo - Never Willing, Still Fulfilling - On Sale
This is really an exciting release of the progressive metal outfit DELPHIAN from the northern part of Limburg. Their music goes far beyond the average gothic or progressive metal band with a female singer. Especially musically, there’s a lot going on. And the voice of Aniek is beautiful too, and very clear indeed. Her flute playing is another eye-catcher of course, because how many bands can you name with a flute player in their line-up?? References for the sound of DELPHIAN would be DELPHIAN. It’s far too simple to name a band like DREAM THEATER, THE GATHERING or OPETH here, because there is some resemblance. The guitars in opener “Wrong Turn” sound so pure, that this can only be compared to their very own original sound. My compliments, people! “Labyrinth” is a short instrumental song, which contains some flute playing by Aniek, followed by “Intermezzo”, another short instrumental. “Never Willing, Still Fulfilling” is another lengthy track with vocals. I liked the jazzy rhythm parts in this song, which are again significant for the self-willed DELPHIAN sound. They try out new things and everything turns out surprisingly well. The five track CD, clocking a little bit over twenty minutes, closes with a song called “On Sale”. This song, by the way, is a fast, powerful headbanger and by far the heaviest song on this great release!! Keep your eyes open, because this band is the future of the metal scene in our country! And you’d better believe me on my word here!!
LINE UP: Aniek Janssen (v/flute), Coert Bouten (g), Marcel Volleberg (g), Roel van Helden (dr), Sjoerd Hoeijmakers (b)
ADDRESS: DELPHIAN, c/o Roel van Helden, Hombergerweg 74, 5973 PH Lottum, The Netherlands.
EMAIL: info@delphian-metal.nl
WEBSITE: http://www.delphian-metal.nl
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#38/December 2004)
EXIT CLOV-
Exit Clov Studios
US Demo CD 2003
4 TRACKS: Talkin' Radio - Beast Simone - Death By Association - Killer Starfish
Identical twins Emily and Susan Hsu sang together for a while. They played mostly folk clubs. They didn't exactly fit in. When they got board this, the Hsu sisters formed a band. They recruted Brett and John for a rhythm section. That adds a nice lilt to EXIT CLOV's songs. When guitarist Aaron Leeder became available, he was added to the band. We hear some nice note playing from him. He plays a simple, uncluttered sound. I'd call it creative, since it doesn’t sound like all the other soft rock. Whatever it is, it's pretty to listen to. Fans of alternative music will like this. First on the CD is “Talkin' Radio”. It starts off with harmony from Emily and Susan. After a while, the instruments come in. It's like listening to three separate sounds at once. Vocals, lead guitar, and rhythm section. The song is about forming a band. It uses some relational turms to describe it. At times it seems poetic. The band seems to be coming together. She thinks it's going to work. That's a sentiment someone who's associated with any kind of band will understand. There are three more songs on the CD. They have a similar tone. This won’t be heavy enough for some of our readers. It is well done.
LINE UP: Emily Hsu (v/ks/g/violin), Susan Hsu (v/ks/g/violin), Brett Niederman (b/ks), John Thayer (dr/perc), Aaron Leeder (g)
ADDRESS: EXIT CLOV’ c/o Eric Gerber, Royal Artist Group, P.O. Box 590395, San Francisco, CA 94159-0395, USA.
EMAIL: info@exitclov.com
WEBSITE: http://www.exitclov.com
by: Jack Little (MM#38/December 2004)
FLUFF THE KAT-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
2 TRACKS: Dreams – Cocaine
Whenever you went to a local club, the band playing mostly covers were guys. That's changed. In Houston we have FLUFF THE KAT. These four girls play everything from JANIS JOPLIN to BRITNEY SPEARS. With THE DONNAS, JOAN JETT and AC/DC thrown in for good messure. The two songs on their demo are “Dreams” and “Cocaine”. The band play “Dreams” much like the FLEETWOOD MAC original. The vocals are deeper than the STEVIE NICKS’ original. They come off stronger. The other is “Cocaine”. You may remember J.J. CALE playing it. Since there are few words, the band get to streach out and show how well they can play. You can hear everyone. Cindy Pruitt's guitar part stands out. Gitiim Chakamoi plays enough, but not too much, on drums. Listen carefully and you can hear Melissa D and Kat Drake, too. Often you hear noted musicans tell about how they started in a band, that covered a little of everything. FLUFF THE KAT are taking that early step. Based on this demo, they are doing it well.
LINE UP: Cindy Pruitt (g,v), Melissa D. (b), Gitiim Chakamoi (perc/v), Kat Drake (b/perc/v)
ADDRESS: FLUFF THE KAT, c/o Cindy Pruitt, 1507 Calafornia St.# 4, Houston, TX 77006, USA.
EMAIL: cindy@fluffthekat.com
WEBSITE: http://www.fluffthekat.com
by: Jack Little (MM#38/December 2004)
FLUTTR-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
4 TRACKS: Say Goodbye - Flann O'Brien - Tarantula Part 1- Tarantula Part 2.
Very seldom do you come across an orchestra with a guitar, marimba, drums, electric cello, midi player and vocals. Most rock bands don't have that combination either. The sound that FLUTTR makes is half of both. At times we hear the energy of rock. You could call this progressive rock. It can be haunting and beautiful. This is often true, when Kara Trott sings. Heavy guitars make more of a metal sound. Goth fans will like the effect Valerie Thompson's electric cello has on the music. When you mix all of this together, you get surprisingly varied songs. The four song CD opens with “Say Goodbye”. There's an introduction, that is pop music.Then other instruments come in. It gets faster and stronger. The vocals are strained, but not weak. All of this is punctuated by marimba notes. Slow passages alternate with heavy ones. None long enough to become boring. It took a lot of creativity and planning to write these compositions. The band members do all of this very well. “Tarantula Parts 1 and 2” are entirely instrumental. “Part 2” has more variations than “Part 1”. It opens with spooky electronic sounds. Then the band starts. The music alternates between fast metal and goth. If you like varied music made by a different assortment of instruments you'll like this.
LINE UP: Kara Trott (lv), Troy Kidwell (g/v), Vessela Stoyanova (MIDI Marimba), Jason Marchionna (d/perc), Valerie Thompson (cello/v)
EMAIL: fluttrock@yahoo.com
WEBSITE: http://www.fluttr.com
by: Jack Little (MM#38/December 2004)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
4 TRACKS: Lips - I'm With Stupid - The One - Waiting
The focus of this band is Kristen Persinos. She sings with emotion and she plays guitar well. Kristen also wrote most of these songs. The songs could be about a specific relationship. “Lips” opens with a pop intro. Then the guitars get stronger and start to rock. Rock not metal. Kristen says her music contains variations on mainstream rock. Having listened to this CD, I agree. The song is about an intense moment. She's talking, but she can't quite believe she's going ahead and said these things, she wanted to say. Even more surprisingly, he's listening. “I’m With Stupid” is faster. It rocks hardest of the four songs on IMPOSTOR SYNDROME's CD. It’s about laziness. A man, who doesn't want to get going. Who makes no effort to improve things for himself. There's a good point about watching old television shows years later. Kristen says "Actors who look so young. You know what? They’re all dead". I've thought about that, too. ”The One” is slow and sparse. It could be the ballad. It’s about looking back. You don't always like what you see. “Waiting” has several short terse notes along with slow verses. It tells about waiting for the next thing to happen. Kristen doesn't need to worry about being an impostor. This proves, she's for real.
LINE UP: Kristen Persinos (g,v), Steve Kerr (b,v), Ross Kantor (dr on “Lips”), Stu Damm (dr)
EMAIL: helga45@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.impostorsyndrome.net
by: Jack Little (MM#38/December 2004)
LA GORDA-
Meet La Gorda
US Demo CD 2002
4 TRACKS: Siren 7 - Leering Lecher - Dear Philip – Hemlock
I’m impressed with LA GORDA. Most of this is slow. There are heavier bands. LA GORDA can communicate a lot with what they have. Let’s start with “Leering Lecher”. It has a slow deliberate introduction. Then shifts to mid-pace, which later descends into chaos. Bass guitarist Marcie Boyett portrays a lot of this. She and Dawn Perlas contribute some of the vocals. When they sing different parts at the same time, the sound is intentionally disorganized. Dawn's guitar chords are well placed. The song is about being watched and followed. A guy seems to be stalking her. She would like to yell back at him. “Leering Lecher” is her way of doing so. In contrast to this is “Dear Phillip”. Being around Phillip excites her. She would like to tell him, but can't quite say so. Their former drummer, Rocio Martin, is steady, though not too strong on drums. Just right for this kind of song. The music is slow though not extremely hard. It expresses the mood well. You keep listening. “Hemlock” leans toward goth. The downside of religion is contrasted with witchery. There’s a short attempt at a death grunt. LA GORDA cover a lot on this CD. Don't ignore them as just another too soft band.
(current) LINE UP: Dawn Perlas (g,v), Marcia Boyett (b.v), Amber (g,v), Christine Malash (dr)
ADDRESS: LA GORDA, c/o 7811 Emily's Way, Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA.
EMAIL: theband@la-gorda.com
WEBSITE: http://www.la-gorda.com
by: Jack Little (MM#38/December 2004)
LORI LINSTRUTH-
untitled
SWE Demo CD 2004
6 TRACKS: Leite Mich - If - The Dream Sequencer: Reprise - Massive - Camel Breath - Devoid
What a great surprise to receive this instrumental CD of LORI LINSTRUTH! She really turns back in time, when it was a hype to release these supercool extravaganza guitar records such as great names like MARTY FRIEDMAN, JASON BECKER, TONY MACALPINE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RITCHIE KOTZEN and JOE SATRIANI. Opener “Leite Mich” is a classical song, originally written by Johan Sebastian Bach. “If” could well have been on almost every guitar record, that I mentioned earlier in this review. It has a kind of YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN feel, like in a song called “I Am A Viking”. The third song on this great demo comes as an even bigger surprise to us. It’s a cover from the AYREON song “The Dream Sequencer: Reprise”. And she really did this with style! I think, she can be really proud of the final result. “Massive” is a short interlude. It’s more of an introduction to “Camel Breath”. I hear some Eastern influences, which is no wonder when you read the title of this song. You don’t see too much camels on the local highway here in Europe, do you? So the title is explained here in a nutshell. “Devoid” is the last song on this very exciting demo. A great example of the high skills of this Swedish multi-instrumentalist, who did play all instruments by herself. My compliments for this great demo CD, that plays a little over seventeen minutes. By the way, Lori also has some good news for all the WARBRIDE fans out there. She has reformed this all-female cult metal band, and is about to release a new album very soon. If this will sound half as sensational as her demo, then you’ll hear much more about this blonde Swedish guitar goddess in the very near future. To be continued, for sure!
LINE UP: Lori Linstruth (all instruments)
EMAIL: info@LoriLinstruth.com
WEBSITE: http://www.LoriLinstruth.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#38/December 2004)
OF INFINITY-
The Essence Of Infinity
US Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: The Voice Without – Shadow Of A Lie – It’s Only For Forever
OF INFINITY hails from San Antonio, Texas. Their demo CD contains three songs, which gives you a good reflection of their music. Powerful gothic metal with great female vocals. Their influences are from bands like THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, NIGHTWISH, EVANE-SCENCE and LACUNA COIL. However, the power of this lady singer simply goes beyond these names. The crystal clear production and the high-skilled musicians take care of the rest. The three songs, worthy of seventeen minutes of music, are definitely worth checking out. “The Voice Without” is the opener, and one of the highlights, because it contains all the elements I already mentioned in the beginning of this review. “Shadows Of A Lie” is a lengthy epical tune. It’s a remake and was originally meant to be an instrumental track. “It’s Only For Forever” is the closer of this great demo CD. It sounds like BLACKMORE’S NIGHT with heavy guitars, because there’s a certain medieval feel in this song. The piano parts in this particular song are very sphereful. You can hear their love for this music here. I think, we can see OF INFINITY as a great promise for the future!
LINE UP: Alessandra Zinicola (v/p/keys), Nazareth Sando (g/pr.dr), Kurtis Kyllo (b)
ADDRESS: OF INFINITY, c/o P.O. Box 780224, San Antonio, TX 78278, USA.
EMAIL: ofinfinityemail@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://www.ofinfinity.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#38/December 2004)
WINGS OF FURY-
Enigma Of Life
NL Demo CD 2001
5 TRACKS: The Poem Of Truth (intro) - Hogmanay Night - Shattered Paradise - The Last Words - Drowning Visions (outro)
This demo contains five songs and runs for twenty-five minutes. WINGS OF FURY are true heroes in creating a dark and melancholic atmosphere. Sometimes their music sounds a bit doomy, too. Miriam Dammers is the soprano in the band. But please don’t start comparing them to NIGHT-WISH for that matter. Rather think about bands like ANATHEMA or MY DYING BRIDE. A song like “Hogmanay Night” is very beautiful indeed. It opens with a nice instrumental part, then the vocals come in and it slowly rises into a punch line, before returning to a slower part and fading away. In all, worthy of about nine minutes of atmospheric doom metal. In “Shattered Paradise” we hear the grunt vocals for the first time. It’s a more uptempo song. Once again, we hear that WINGS OF FURY consists of some great musicians. While in “The Last Words”, the mood is again very sad. I am glad, that WINGS OF FURY distinguish themselves from the well-known progressive gothic metal sound. The scene is flooded with all these bands nowadays. The melancholy and the mood in their songs is striking, and our conclusion is, that WINGS OF FURY have created a rather unique style of their own, instead of jumping on the large bandwagon.
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#38/December 2004)
WINGS OF FURY-
Goddess Of Delight (live demo)
NL Demo CD 2002
6 TRACKS: The Inexplicable Force - Commandments - Shattered Paradise - Hogmanay Night - The Last Words - Goddess Of Delight
Next on is the live demo by WINGS OF FURY. Recorded on June 15th, 2002 at the Elektra, Sliedrecht (NL). It has six songs and contains about forty minutes of dark metal. You’ll have to turn up the volume a little bit, because the recorded sound is not too loud. But it’s good quality, and that’s what counts here. The three longer tracks from their first demo are also played on this live demo. The demo opens with “The Inexplicable Force”, which is a fast and powerful song with male grunts. “Commandments” is also not on the first demo and a newer song. It’s a continuation of the dark, melancholic sound, that we heard on their first demo. The nine minutes, epical story shows you, what WINGS OF FURY is all about. Dark atmospheric sound parts, topped with the soprano voice of Miriam. The next song “Shattered Paradise”, we already know from their first demo. While the lengthy “Hogmanay Night” is slowly becoming the ultimate WINGS OF FURY song to me. And after hearing both demos, I must admit that I liked this song best. It’s a long, epical moment of depression. You know, when you feel that the sun may never shine again, after hearing so much sorrow. I really love this song. It’s such a great composition! “The Last Words” is also from the first demo. The live demo closes with the title track “Goddess Of Delight”, which is definitely one of the heaviest songs by the band. Nice detail here is, that female vocalist Miriam also did the artwork for both demos. This lady has got many artistic talents. Latest news is, that guitarist Wilbert has left the band, and is now being replaced by Erno Noorlander. WINGS OF FURY are ready to hit the Dutch stages at full force again!
LINE UP: Miriam Dammers (v), Wilbert Beurskens (g/grunts), Tim Oehlen (g), Marc Wassen (synth), Aryan Wever (b), Pascal Wilbers (dr)
EMAIL: wings_of_fury@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: http://clik.to/wingsoffury
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#38/December 2004)
AMP-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Silver – Same Breath - Backyard
AMP's music doesn't fit into any particular kind of music. It's melodic alright and mid tempo most of the time. It can be aggressive at times. All three songs are guitar based. There is some good guitar playing on these songs. Tim's solos stand out and April's vocals remind me of goth girls. The rhythm section of Holly L. on bass and Ray on drums define the sound of each song. Each of the songs are a little different. “Silver” rocks the most on any of these. The guitar sound is twangy. It plays a big part in the song. The vocals are easy to hear. I take it that he doesn't like her, but she wants him. She is the kind to go against the grain. “Same Breath” is slower. Gothic sounds alternate with slow dramatic music. The vocals are long and lingering. The band show what they can do during the instrumental break. “Backyard” is about looking at the familar and finding beauty in it. This is the longest song on the CD. Vocal passages alternate with instrumental sections. They are repeated as “Backyard” drones. Some will find this artsy. It has a kind of beauty. Some people will get amped about AMP.
LINE UP: April (v), Holly (b/v) Tim (g), Ray (dr)
ADDRESS: no details
EMAIL: AMP@ampplanet.com
WEBSITE: http://www.ampplanet.com
by: Jack Little (MM#37/October 2004)
IMP-
S/T
NL Demo CD 2003
6 TRACKS: Intro - Successors - Demise Of Man - The Last Descendant - The Great Arrival – Onslaught
IMP proves that you can release a very powerful demo with a strong melodic background. I like the fact, that female singer Monica Janssen can do a lot with her voice. And so it is possible to listen to a melodic piece, where Monica uses her normal voice, and next to explode in a very brutal blast, where Monica dares to use her grunt vocals. Talk about variety here! The “Intro” makes that you’re poised on the edge of your seat. You just know, that it can happen any time now! And in “Successors”, we already get a good example of the variety in music styles of IMP. The more melodic parts on one hand and the more brutal parts on the other hand. The riffs in “Demise Of Man” are fast and true headbangers, if that’s your thing at live shows. One of the highlights on this thirty-five minute demo is the lengthy “The Last Descendant”, which has many speed and mood changes, very powerful rhythms and the sometimes screaming vocals of Monica. “The Great Arrival” is another long epic, in which the band fully presents their ability to write exciting metal songs, that constantly hold your attention, because of their innovative structures. I wish there were more bands like IMP, because the majority just wants to repeat the same theme over and over. The demo closes with another long song, called “Onslaught”, which sounds a bit darker than the rest at first, but then suddenly explodes in a great melodic thrash song in the best ‘old’ ICED EARTH tradition. This is stuff, for those who are sick and tired of all the bands that are repeating and copying themselves over and over again. It’s time for some good old school thrash metal, with lots of innovative song structures. Highly recommended by yours truly!!
LINE UP: Fred Koot (g), Wim van der Bij (g), Gerard Ras (b), Monica Janssen (v), Matthijs Krijnen (d)
ADDRESS: IMP, c/o Wim van der Bij, De Graafschap 48, 2904 XT Capelle a.d. IJssel, The Netherlands.
EMAIL: wim@imp-web.nl
WEBSITE: http://www.imp-web.nl
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#37/October 2004)
LATE SEPTEMBER DOGS-
S/T
US Demo CD 2004
3 TRACKS: Maybe An Angle - Set It Free - Anything But Beautiful
LATE SEPTEMBER DOGS are from Seattle. Don't stop reading yet. This isn't another band copying the music of a few years ago. It's somehow a little different. Slow steady music with a sound rock fans will like. Liz Teisan does the singing. Her voice is powerful without being too loud. At times PAT BENATAR has done this. Dan Teisan stands out on guitar. He's Liz's brother. He plays the notes very well. Dan adds a lot with string bends and planned guitar sounds. We don't hear the rest of the band as much. They all seem to be capable musicians. There are three songs on this demo CD. They are all likeable for different reasons. It starts off with “Maybe An Angle”. Liz's sultry vocals get your attention. At one time this would be described as a touch song. It's about trying to get a particular mans attention and wondering what's going on inside of him. The other thing that shines through is Dan's guitar playing. It includes jazz, soft rock and the blues. The song lingers on for 4:39. It held my attention all the way through. Mention should be made of “Anything But Beautiful”. Liz is not hard to look at. She sings "I can be anything, but beautiful". She packs a lot of different feelings into one song. The word passion is popular these days. This is one of the places, it belongs.
LINE UP: Liz Teisan (v), Dan Teisan (g), Brian Timpe (b), Travis Murphy (rg,keys) Jeremy Bill (dr)
ADDRESS: no details
EMAIL: theband@lateseptemberdogs.com
WEBSITE: http://www.lateseptemberdogs.com
by: Jack Little (MM#37/October 2004)
MYDOLS-
Jiffy Mix
US Demo CD 2003
4 TRACKS: Dutch Boy - Examiner 50 - Mydol Twist - Diaper Lullaby
A lot of time is spent on discussing girl and grrrl bands. Punk girls, who got bored and formed a band. It got so successful, they’d to stop being punks. THE DIXIE CHICKS took their girlband into country music. Often they were the subject of interest to younger women. The MYDOLS were suburban mothers, who thought there was more to life. They formed a band. Decided who played what. Learned to play as they went along, as these kinds of bands do. MYDOLS’ music could be described as garage rock. I hear some surf influences too. If you’re old enough to understand their songs, you might remember the surf sound when it was new. Perhaps the best song of the bunch is the “Mydol Twist”. The sound is early sixties. The words are are about the anger, fatigue, joy and frustrations of middle class, middle aged women. They except this as doing the “Mydol Twist”. “Diaper Lullaby” has an instrumental introduction. There's a cool, slow rhythm. The lyrics are a series of rhymes about changing diapers. For example they manage to rhyme wiper with diaper. There's a blues influence here. As I had to change diapers regularly, I might have the blues too. Welcome to girlband land, MYDOLS!
LINE UP: Kara Rasmussen (v), Pat Mcgough Wujcik (dr) , Paige Gilbert (b), Judy Davids (g)
ADDRESS: MYDOLS, c/o 118 Crane Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA.
EMAIL: webmaster@mydols.com
WEBSITE: http://www.mydols.com
by: Jack Little (MM#37/October 2004)
SKEPTICAL MINDS-
First Experiment
BEL Demo CD 2004
5 TRACKS: Treasured Felony – Eat And Hate – I Love You (‘Coz You’re Dead) – Black Porcelain - Rotten Fruit
When I heard the first tones on this five track demo CD by SKEPTICAL MINDS, my thoughts almost immediately went out to the Dutch band DRIONIDE (reviewed in MM#33). Electro fueled industrial like riffs, a slow beat, beautiful female vocals of Kristell, a touch of metal and goth, and some new wave. You definitely have to be open minded to be able to judge this music on its strong points. It stands with both feet in this new millennium. I agree with the influences they mentioned in their biography, like RAMMSTEIN and TORI AMOS. “Eat And Hate” is full of samples and drums, that seem to come from a small box. Metalheads will probably turn their head, and start reading the next review. But, just like DRIONIDE, I believe there’s definitely a market for this experimen-tal and excentric sound of SKEPTICAL MINDS. I didn’t really mind listening to this CD, that plays for almost twenty-five minutes. I also heard some PINK influences in the voice of KRISTELL, but it sure sounds harder than this lady. Not easy to comprehend, and for a metalhead like me, not really easy to describe. Their sound is not bad at all, may that be the positive message, that I have for this band from Belgium.
Note: SKEPTICAL MINDS are currently working on their first album, out in October 2004.
LINE UP: Kristell (v), Michel, (g/double axe), Vincent (piano), Pascal (b), Gaby (dr)
EMAIL: kristell@skepticalminds.com
WEBSITE: http://www.skepticalminds.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#37/October 2004)
BLACK FLAMINGO-
S/T
US Demo CD 2003
5 TRACKS: Sometimes - Addicted 2 Sleaze - Luv U - Don't Wanna - Lie 2 U
Some bands play edgy mid-paced music. Others play romantic sounds. BLACK FLAMINGO aren’t afraid to play some of both. “Addicted 2 Sleaze” and “Don't Wanna” rock the most of the bunch. “Addicted 2 Sleaze” is about things, that attracted her. The speaker has good memories of crazy things she has done in the past. Dawn McGrath contributes drum rolls of the right length in the right places. “Don’t Wanna” has a nice guitar solo. There's a second vocal part, too. It's about things the author doesn’t want to exist. "I don't want a world that’s full of hate. I don’t want a problem with war. I don't wanna change my ways. I don't want these games.". While most people would agree to one extent or the other, I think this is the statement of a punk girl. On “Lie 2 You”, she would rather tell the truth. Sometimes that upsets people. Maybe it would be easier to “Lie 2 You”. “Sometimes” and “Luv U” are romantic songs. “Sometimes” has a nice lilt to it. There's some good note playing on guitar. While her relationship has its ups and downs, they love eachother anyway. A sound relationship with a pretty sound. “Luv U” is a slow song. It has enough guitar chords to keep it moving. The words are a rant from a disappointed woman. She's in love and knows it. He doesn’t appreciate that. She's unhappy. If this is to your taste, have BLACK FLAMINGO!
LINE UP: Ms. Flamingo (v/g), Michele Fox (b/v), Remy de Laroque (lg), Dawn McGrath (dr)
ADDRESS: BLACK FLAMINGO, 145 4th Ave. 3f, New York, N.Y. 10003, USA.
EMAIL: blkflamin@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://www.blackflamingo.com
by: Jack Little (MM#36/June 2004)
KARMA-
S/T
NL promo CD 2003
5 TRACKS: Calling Isis – New Dawn – Excalibur – Atlantis – What Once Was
KARMA was formed in September 2001 by Irene Jansen and Bas Maas (now AFTER FOREVER). However, it took them until June 2003 to find a suitable drummer and complete the band line up. Some people might know Irene from her guest appearance in STAR ONE, the project of Arjen Lucassen in 2002. There she sang the female vocals together with her sister Floor (AFTER FOREVER). Also she contributed to the “Once And Future King-Part 2” CD of Gary Hughes (TEN) in 2003. This demo CD was recorded before they found a steady drummer and therefore the band used a drum computer instead of the real thing. Nevertheless, this demo certainly leaves its marks, because the songs on this thirty minute CD show a lot of potential. Leaving the very bright and clear voice of singer Irene Jansen as the eye-catcher between some great (and very talented) musicians. The music style of the band could be described as power metal with here and there some prog metal influences, like KAMELOT, SYMPHONY X, CHASTAIN, etc. Opener “Calling Isis” reminds me a bit of STAR ONE. While “New Dawn” starts off with a slow keyboard intro, which during the chorus unfolds into a fast headbanger. This is a very cool song! Also the next song “Excalibur” is very much uptempo, in which some oriental influences are incorporated. You can tell by the songtitles, that the band prefers to write about stories and myths from the ancient times. A clear example would be the song “Atlantis”. It’s a real epical tune, worthy of well over eight minutes! One which could easily compete with songs of LANA LANE, if you look at the genius song structure. The last song on this demo is a bit more melodic. It starts with a sensitive guitar solo and develops into the direction of a rock ballad. I’m not quite sure, if this demo CD is also for sale. Otherwise I would advise you to wait a few more months, because the official MCD of the band will be out this summer.
LINE UP: Irene Jansen (v), Emerald Kloosterman (g/v), Tiemen Gerris (g), Martin Plag (synth), Aram Rogalski (b), Ralf Haan (dr).
EMAIL: atlantisart@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.karmametal.com
by: Marcel van Santen (MM#36/June 2004)
PIE DELAY-
More Fat More Sugar
FIN Demo DVD 2003
5 TRACKS: Pissed Deal - Girl In A Body Bag - Pro-Choice - Danger Panic - No Fat No Sugar
PIE DELAY say they are somewhat punk rock. After hearing and seeing them, I'd say they are all the way punk rock. I say see because their DVD has video clips for three of the songs. You can see the band, hear crowd noise, and see the stage as if you were at a club. It would have been nice, if the vocals had come through louder. Lyrics are included on the CD. That's good. Like political punk bands, they have something to say. “Girl In A Body Bag” is about someone, who goes out to do nothing more than have fun. They are raped and murdered. “Danger Panic” is from someone, who has panic attacks. There's more to it than just having the disorder. On “Pro-Choice”, they don't want to be ruled by someone else's sense of morality. Eeva, Elli and Pore (a.k.a. Candy Sustain) all do some of the vocals. They also play some of the guitars, that keep the songs rolling along. Jukka rages on drums (who left the band recently!). She gives the songs their punk pace and strength. PIE DELAY observe things, that a lot of people don't want to think about. PIE DELAY play music, that makes you listen to them. Give us “More Fat More Sugar”.
LINE UP: Eeva (g,v), Elli (g,v), Pore (b,v), Jukka (dr)
ADDRESS: PIE DELAY, Josafatink 13 b58, 00510 Helsinki, Finland.
EMAIL: piedelay@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.piedelay.cjb.net
by: Jack Little (MM#36/June 2004)
QUEANY GENE-
S/T
US Demo tape 2004
3 TRACKS: Ostrich - We Never Change - The Guys Song
This is QUEANY GENE's first effort. She has a high voice and tries to hit all the notes. Gene can stretch out a note when the situation calls for it. On “Ostrich”, she sounds a little like JANIS JOPLIN. I'll bet Queany could sing the blues, if she wanted to. On this demo, there's no music other than voice on the demo. If there were some competent musicians behind these songs, it would be even better. A rhythm section or a sound track would be welcome. The songs aren't long. There are some ideas to develop. “We Never Change” revolves around the idea that people say we are strange, but we never change. Those, who read metal ‘zines may have noticed this. Last is “The Guys Song”. It's from a girl, who is boy crazy. After grrrl bands who are critical of men, it's nice to hear a girl who is interested in boys and says so. It takes courage to send out your first demo. Now it's time for QUEANY GENE to develop it from here.
LINE UP: no info
ADDRESS: Robin Lester, 505 Holston Rd. Lot 15, Wytheville, VA 24382, USA.
EMAIL: no info
WEBSITE: no info
by: Jack Little (MM#36/June 2004)
SEXDIGITAL-
S/T
US Demo CD 2003
5 TRACKS: Awaken (demo) - This One Moment – Voodoo - Fade (promo) - Seller Of Secrets
The dictionary describes SEXDIGITAL as "having six fingers on one hand or six toes on one foot". Having an extra finger, when playing guitar would be helpful. The demo opens with "Awaken". Jackie's vocals are deep and threatening. They’re not a death grunt. They alternate between soft and harsh. The melody is slow but intriguing metal. It could be described as death metal. "This One Moment" starts with Syan on bass. Then heavier chords follow. Pete sets a deliberate pace on drums. The delicate vocals are in contrast to the plodding music. They seem to be filled with fear on the edge of insanity. This held my attention. "Voodoo" allows us to hear both Jackie and Syan's voices. One is doomy. The other is more melodic. They call on the "Master Of The Cross Roads" to "Open up the gates". It reminds me of possession and wanting to be set free. There's a guitar intro. Suddenly, the music gets stronger. There are more deep chords. SEXDIGITAL also have another CD with two new songs. They are equal high quality. All members of SEXDIGITAL are talented, expressive musicians. This is the best metal band to come along in a long time.
LINE UP: Jackie (v), Suzanna (g), Syan (b/v) , Pete Vassil (d)
ADDRESS: SEXDIGITAL, c/o 584 8th Ave. Suite 1003, New York, N Y 10018, USA.
EMAIL: sexdigital@sexdigital.org
WEBSITE: http://www.sexdigital.org
by: Jack Little (MM#36/June 2004)
SOME WON SPIT-
Filth
CAN Demo CD 2003
1 TRACK: Filth
SOME WON SPIT used to be a punk band. They have gone in a more heavy metal direction. That's clear from this one track sample. It's from their CD Project “Infinity III”. The song starts with METALLICA like riffs. Some old cool METALLICA riffs! Michelle Giles keeps up in lead guitar. Sarah Knutson set a good bass tone. Chords and vocals come from Marcy Nielsen. The vocals are strained with an occasional scream. Marcy says "We always get asked about the girl band issue. We wish people would get over it. Yes, we are girls. So? I never ask a band with all guys how they feel about being an all guy band. We are all quite skilled musicians and it pisses me off that people are surprised when they find out we have no problem holding our own". A lot of the energetic rhythms can be attributed to Cory Fowler on drums. She observes "There's so much talent in this city (Edmonton, Canada) that people should just see a band because they are good". I could say the same of Detroit or Cleveland. The same could be said of other places. If you prefer a heavy metal gig over Lilith Fair, you'll like this.
LINE UP: Marcy Nielsen (v/g), Sarah Knutson (b), Michelle Giles (g), Cory Fowler (d)
ADDRESS: Coreen Fowler, 9948-81 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6E 1W6.
EMAIL: spitpromo@yahoo.ca
WEBSITE: artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Some_Won_Spit/
by: Jack Little (MM#36/June 2004)
SPLATTER-
Demo From Hell
CAN Demo CD 2003
3 TRACKS: Bitch – Roam – Chauvinistic Pig
I like a good splatter movie, every now and then. Just to still my blood thirst. Now I can rely on Vancouver, Canada based band SPLATTER, who thought of a good name for their band. They have a good way of convincing people, that their band is hot! They send their demo to us in a press map, where the imprinted blood red letters seem to be ready to jump out right into your room saying “Hello wake up, because now you’re dealing with something special you’ve never heard before, a band called SPLATTER!!!”. Their promo kit comes with a biography, a picture and a sticker, which are very well taken care of. They also know that image alone is not good enough anymore. You must have the balls to come with some good music as well these days. And the three songs on this “Demo From Hell” have got this ‘no nonsense’ feeling that I like so much in a band like ZAKK WYLDE’S BLACK LABEL SOCIETY for example. That’s the first band I thought of, when listening to the guitar chords of “Bitch”. It sounds a bit doomy, ultra heavy and it has got a great groove. “Roam” is on next, and again I realize that this is pretty cool stuff. It’s the kind of shit, that I wanna hear. “Roam” is faster, maybe punkier in a way. But it also shows, that SPLATTER doesn’t stick to one style alone. They can play slow songs as well as fast rockers. SPLATTER consists of Connie Meyer on vocals, Martin Meyer on bass, Alex Cueva on guitar and Matt Modder on drums. “Chauvinistic Pig” is a mix of TESTAMENT and D.R. I. It has got an aggressive undertone, which could create a very nice slam pit, when they play the song live. SPLATTER is definitely a name to remember and they would fit great on an OZZFEST bill in the feature, believe me!
LINE UP: Connie Meyer (v), Martin Meyer (b), Matt Modder (dr), Alex Cueva (g)
ADDRESS: SPLATTER, c/o 7549 Meadow Ave., Burnaby BC, US5 4ZZ, Canada.
EMAIL: basshead332@shaw.ca
WEBSITE: http://www.splatter.ca
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#36/June 2004)
WOLFEBLITZER-
S/T
US Demo CD
3 TRACKS: Lonely World – Holdin’ On – Hells’ Present
I’ve heard about WÜLFGANG and BLITZENHAMMER (no females in this line up), but the name WOLFEBLITZER has never crossed our path before. Until recently…. And I am glad, they did. This three song self-titled demo (recorded with their old line up) is worthy of almost thirteen minutes of great traditional sounding heavy metal, which has a lot of energy and power. It doesn’t have any influences of nu-metal or other apeshit. The band is based in Houston, Texas. Aha, that explains a lot already. Texas metal is simply the best there is. They started their career however in the L.A. scene, under the name of VALOR. But after the move to Houston and some line up changes, they changed their name to WOLFEBLITZER. Already in the first song “Lonely World”, I hear a great long guitar solo and female vocals that even reach the hight that Ann Wilson (HEART) could reach in her early days. In the second song “Holdin’ On”, I hear strong guitar riffs, good choir vocals and again a voice that reminds me of Ann Wilson, and on top of this all a good guitar solo of course. Touches of old QUEENSRYCHE pass by during this song as well. In the last song “Hells’ Present”, we are treated to some SCORPIONS like riffs (“Blackout” era). However, vocalist Val Seals reminds me more of Rob Halford here, with her high pinching screams. Besides Val, the band consists of Lee Seals, who is the husband of Val, on guitar, Tim Welch on bass and Tim Castro on drums. I think you will read more about this band in one of our upcoming issues, because we definitely want to introduce this traditional true metal band a bit closer to you. Check them out!!
CURRENT LINE UP: Val Seals (v), Lee Seals (g), Tim Welch (b), Tim Castro (dr)
ADDRESS: WOLFEBLITZER, c/o 14518 Hempstead Highway, Suite 2K Houston, Texas 77095, USA
EMAIL: Info@wolfeblitzer.com
WEBSITE: http://www.wolfeblitzer.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#36/June 2004)
ALHANA-
Csillagszellö
HUN Demo CD 2002
5 TRACKS: Nem Akarok - Az Ördög Csókja - Az Öregember – Mágus - Csillagszellö
Gothic rock comes from over all over the world. This band from Hungary shows us a mix of gothic rock, power metal and folk metal. This CD demo was already reased in 2002, but the sound is so essential, that we just needed to mention it in this magazine. The vocals of Paréj Zsuzsi ‘Zsizsu’ are clear and sometimes quite high in range. The rest of the band consists of Pihoker Péter ‘Pihe’ on guitar, Kovács Marci ‘Marci’ on guitar, Siegl Zoltán ‘Eddie’ on drums, Siegl András ‘Sígli’ on bass and Hidvégi Tomi ‘Harry’ on keyboards. It’s a shame, you can’t understand the lyrics, but these five songs are pretty enjoyable. “Nem Akarok” opens heavy. From the first notes on, you think you’re dealing with yet another gothic metal band, but after a few seconds it becomes quite clear that we’re definitely dealing with a much more powerful band here. “Az Ördög Csókja” sounds a little bit more mainstream maybe. But a song like "Az Öregember” is far above average with its speed changes and the great guitar solo in the middle. It’s a long track, but it holds your attention from the beginning until the very end, which is good. “Mágus” starts mysteriously, with words that could have been taken from the movie “The Omen”, but I am not too sure about that. Anyway, after that the band continues at high speed. It’s one of the highlights here for me, next to the previous song, which surprised me in a positive way. The demo closes with a ballad called “Csillagszellö”, which is also the title track. It’s a duet, that Zsuzsi does with another male singer and a nice closer indeed! A special mention for the nice artwork on this CD demo, which makes the very good impression I have of this release, complete. ALHANA, a name to remember in the future!
LINE UP: Zsuzsi Paréj (v), Péter Pihokker (g), Marci Kovács (g), András Siegl (b), Zoltán Siegl (dr), Tomi Hidvégi (keys)
ADDRESS: ALHANA, c/o zenekar 1163, Budapest, András utca 50, Hungaria.
EMAIL: alhana@alhana.hu
WEBSITE: www.alhana.hu
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
ANGELUS-
Maeror Camenarum
HUN Demo CD 2002
4 TRACKS: Intro - Osi Rituálék – Play – Mit Választanál?
ANGELUS is an all-female outfit from Hungary. Their demo sounds very good. Already with the dark, spoken intro, a short prayer, they create the right atmosphere. My Hungarian is not really well, but “Osi Rituálék” must have got something to do with ‘rituals’. Therefore, the intro fits pretty well to the first song. It’s kinda difficult to describe the music of ANGELUS. I hear a pretty powerful metal sound with clear vocals, but sometimes I even hear some black metal like screams. Maybe dark, power black metal is a description, that fits best here. The same sound is created in “Play”. Clear vocals and chorusses, and wild black metal screams follow up on each other. It all sounds very exciting. Although the instruments are very basic, the music is very well taken care of. “Mit Választanál?” ends this four track, eleven minute CD demo with a little bit more instrumental variation this time. And again the clear vocals alternate with icely black metal screams. This time the speed goes up, when these screams enter your room. I like the sound of these five metal ladies from Hungary a lot, and I really hope to hear more from them in the near future. This first eleven minutes taste should be given a worthy follow-up soon, in my opinion. A great demo, ladies!
LINE UP: Anita Varga (g/v), Eszter Windhager (lg), Cecilia Tóth (b), Anita Mentsik (dr), Brigitta Bakos (keys)
ADDRESS: ANGELUS, c/o Cecilia Tóth, Cim : 2500 Esztergom, Budai N.A.u. 12 III / 8, HUNGARIA.
EMAIL: info@angelus.hu
WEBSITE: www.angelus.hu
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
BEYOND GLORY-
S/T
US Demo CD 2003
3 TRACKS: Enemy – Holistic Embrace – From The Ashes
As a pre-taster to their upcoming full length album, we can now enjoy this three track demo of BEYOND GLORY. People, who read Metal Maidens frequently, may recognise the name of Tina E. Neal, who previously sang in a band, called MIMIC and WHILE HEAVEN WEPT. Ok, but what about her new outfit? The first song “Enemy” sounds a bit like ICE AGE, and I don’t mean that crappy band that call themselves ICE AGE in 2004. No, of course I am talking about these metal queens from Sweden here. The guitar solo in this song sounds pretty good too. The only negative thing about this good opener is, that it’s over before you know it. They continue with “Holistic Embrace”. Again my thoughts go out to ICE AGE, which the band can see as a big compliment here!! There are some influences of JUDAS PRIEST in the song, too. “From The Ashes”, the last rendition on this demo could well be the “Beyond The Realms Of Death” or “Victim Of Changes” of BEYOND GLORY. It’s a long epic metal song with lots of nice speed and mood changes, which runs for about seven and a half minutes. After about fifteen minutes I have a good impression of this American metal band, that is a real must to every devoted heavy metal freak out there. Good song structures, lots of power, and a high standard of musiciansship make this demo very much worth checking out. Hail to Tina Neal, who is the metal maiden in the band, of course. I am really looking forward to their full length album, after hearing the great sound on this three song demo!
LINE UP: Tina E. Neal (v), Chuck Sicola (g), Chris Davis (lg), Tim Strickland (b), Sammy Ammons (dr)
EMAIL: beyondgloryvox@hotmail.com (Tina E. Neal)
WEBSITE: www.beyondglory.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
DARK EMBRACE-
Bitter End
ESP Demo CD 2003
4 TRACKS: Dying Breath - Bitter End - The Threat Of Flesh And Its Libidnous Storms Of Silence - Fragility Of Life
The title of this four song demo tells you already in what direction the music will be heading. Dark songs, perfect for the long winter nights. “Dying Breath” is the short, ominous intro to title track “Bitter End”. You will be surprised hearing the male vocals of Oscar Asunder, who also plays the cello upfront in the mix. You would rather expect some angel like female vocals here. They tricked me there. The rest of the band consists of Ana G. on bass, Alvaro on drums, Jaime Allegue on guitars and Damien Stillborn on the keyboards. “Bitter End” sounds a bit doomy, and has nice speed changes in the middle of the song. Next on is a song, which they gave the remarkable title of “The Threat Of Flesh And Its Libidnous Storms Of Silence”. No, I haven’t touched any mushrooms here, it’s true actually. But a remarkable song needs a remarkable sound, they must have thought. The intro gives you the idea, that the world will be destroyed very soon. Touches of death metal appear, completed by some ice cold screams. But the doomy aspect didn’t disappear here either. I didn’t really get the meaning of the strange instrumental part in the middle of the song, but I think that fans of a band like OPERA IX definitely can. There’s a lot of variation in this song, that’s for sure. The demo closes with “Fragility Of Life”, which is a bit short in proportion to the average length of the songs so far. The four songs made me long for the winter again, while the summer hasn’t even started yet.
LINE UP: Oscar Asunder (v/cello), Jaime Allegue (g), Ana. G (b), Damien Stillborn (keys/synth), Alvaro (dr)
ADDRESS: c/o P.O. Box 1348, C.P: 15080, A Curuña, SPAIN.
EMAIL: darkembrace@bach.zzn.com
WEBSITE: www.darkembrace.tk
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
DYNABYTE-
S/T
IT Demo CD 2002
4 TRACKS: Dynabyte – I Stand Still – Immigrant Song – I’ll Rise
DYNABYTE is the side project of Cadaveria (voice) and Killer Bob (a.k.a. John) on bass from CADAVERIA. They are helped out by L.J. “Jenna” Dusk on guitar and programming. The name DYNABYTE is the sum of the words dynamite (which indicates power), DNA (which indicates human) and byte (which indicates computer). This demo was recorded at the DNA studio, Italy in March 2002 and mixed by John. The CD starts off with “Dynabyte”, which is a mix of industrial metal and programmed samples. The song is a tribute to itself and to the band that most influenced them, FEAR FACTORY. I must say, DYNABYTE sure sounds different than OPERA IX or CADAVERIA. Frontwoman Cadaveria even “sings” with a very sweet and normal voice!!! “I Stand Still” is next on. It starts off with some gasping (did she just walk the marathon?!?) and a few computer samples, but soon changes into a (somewhat melodic) industrial metal tune. Cadaveria’s voice sounds very spooky and reminds me of TOYAH or Siouxie Sioux (SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES) in a way. It’s followed by “The Immigrant Song” – a LED ZEPPELIN cover. I must say the original song has always been very “sacred” to me and I’m open-minded for good covers, but this one is really hard to swallow! Ok, they have (thank goodness!) not mutilated the song completely, but I don’t have a good feeling about it. I’m very curious to know, what has driven them to do this song in the first place. The CD closes with “I’ll Rise”, another mid-tempo industrial song, larded with samples and high tech programming. My conclusion here? A good product for people, who appreciate this kind of music, but not really my cup of tea!!! I think, I’d better stick to CADAVERIA’s recent album (also reviewed in this issue) !! [Latest news: DYNABYTE are recording their first full-length album for Nocturnal Music].
LINE UP: Cadaveria (v), John (b), Jenna (g/progr.)
EMAIL: info@dynabyte.it
WEBSITE: www.dynabyte.it
by: Rita van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
DEVIL KIT-
Residual Grrr
US Demo CD 2003
5 TRACKS: Left For Dead – Clunk - Too Deep – Inka - Drag Me Down
Remember we did an interview with BITCHCAT a while ago? Well, they broke up shortly after our conversation. I do hope it wasn’t because of us!!! Anyway, out of the ranks of BITCHCAT came DEVIL KIT, got it?!? A young version of a cat is called a kit(ten), or am I thinking too simple here? Well, this is DEVIL KIT and they are presenting us their new five track demo. The band consists of Laurie on bass and vocals, Sandy Box on guitar and backing vocals and Helen Destroy (I remember that great name very well!; ex-LUNACHICKS/BITCHCAT) on drums. They start to spit fire on “Left For Dead”. I think, they will definitely get the crowd moving here! There are some nice speed changes in the song, which makes it really special comparing it to all the other material you hear nowadays. Then we hear “Clunk”, another good uptempo song. While “Too Deep” would fit on a RAMONES album very well. It has all the necessary ingedients. “Inka” is another short and catchy song, that sounds like a good mix of fast hardcore, punkrock and some of the heavier riot grrrl stuff. The five song demo closes with “Drag Me Down”. After hearing these five songs, I can only say it if doesn’t work out right now with this band, I’ll eat my hat. THE DISTILLERS better make room for their all-female follow ups!
LINE UP: Laurie S. (b/v), Sandy Box (g), Helen Destroy (dr)
ADDRESS: DEVIL KIT, c/o Microedge, 619 West 54th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019, USA.
EMAIL: LunaChix@aol.com
WEBSITE: www.devilkit.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
PORNBELT-
S/T
US Demo CD 2002
3 TRACKS: Gash Rash - Fucked - Covered Girl
PORNBELT is more of a grrrl band than a girl band. There are no pretty pop songs here. This sounds more like punk, influenced by performance art. On the first two songs “Gash Rash” and “Fucked”, there’s not a lot of technical playing. Hawk repeatedly slams the drum kit. Merry states the words. She doesn’t attempt to hit notes, so I wouldn’t call it singing. The vocals are harsh and angry, much of the time. You can hear some guitar on “Fucked”. There’s a tempo change to keep your attention too. Last on this CD demo is the song “Covered Girl”. PORNBELT show us that they can play rock, when they want to. The second part adds something to the song. I’m not sure what it adds, but it does. “Covered Girl” is about how society represents and misrepresents women. This song strongly rejects it. A notable lyric is “Anorexic vixens who do what they’re told”. That covers a lot in one sentence. There are people, who will tell you that what’s wrong. PORNBELT are good enough musicians, that they could play pretty songs. They chose not to. Rock and roll does not need to be pretty. PORNBELT are doing their best to make sure, it’s not.
LINE UP: Merry (v), Debbie (kazoo, noise), Hawk (d, g), Slamber (g, d), Larissa (b).
ADDRESS: D. Nicholson, 808 Parker Street # I, Boston MA 02120.
EMAIL: eximousproductions@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: www.pornbelt.com
by: Jack Little (MM#35/March 2004)
SEVENTH HEAVEN-
So Cruel
JAP Demo CD 2003
3 TRACKS: So Cruel - Nothing Lasts Forever - Still Alive (new version)
The CD sleeve looks very professional indeed, and that’s the first impression people get. The three songs on this demo sound surprisingly well too. The CD opens with the title track “So Cruel”, which will grab your attention for about fifteen minutes totally. SEVENTH HEAVEN consists of Y Kataoka on the keyboards, Yoshi XXX on bass, Seiji on guitars, Tetsuji on the drums and the lovely looking Yoshie on vocals. As you can see, this band hails from Japan, and I must admit that I have a special bond with this beautiful country. Japanese bands always deliver high quality music and are excellent musicians. SEVENTH HEAVEN is no acception to this rule. The band has written some good compositions here, that contain a lot of power and instrumental virtuosity. But also the great vocals of Yoshie, may not stay unmentioned here. “Nothing Lasts Forever” is the title of the second track, and I would at least think that this song would last a little bit longer. Simply because it sounds so great in my opinion. Maybe it’s a little bit more catchy than the previous song, but it’s still very powerful. The third (and last) song on this demo is called “Still Alive” (new version). This indicates that there should be an ‘old version’ also. Well, after hearing these three songs, I think I will have to search for the bands older stuff as well, because this really tastes so good that I want more!!
LINE UP: Yoshie (v), Seiji (g), Yoshi XXX (b), Tetsuji (dr), Y. Kataoka (keys)
EMAIL: seventhheaven@web-seventhheaven.com
WEBSITE: www.web-seventhheaven.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)
SUGARPUSS-
S/T
US Demo CD 2003
3 TRACKS: Bleeding Away – Comatose - Going Down
SUGARPUSS is one of those bands that puts the riot in riot girrrl. The music is aggressive. It’s about love, heartbreak and other girl band subjects. What we have here is a three song sample for the upcoming CD “Victim” on Screaming Bird Records (www.screamingbirdrecords.com). By the time you read this, it should be available. All songs are under three minutes. They have simple, but catchy rhythms of punk rock. This is evident on “Bleeding Away”. Lisa’s vocals are easy to understand. She plays solid bass lines too. The second vocal part comes from Dora. She’s the guitar player. She plays enough chords to fill out the songs. The chords are definate enough to be heard easily. Pat’s drumming is mixed high enough to be appreciated. “Bleeding Away” could be mistaken for just another song about breaking up a relationship. This one comes a while after the breakup. It says “Life is good, now that you’re gone”. Sometimes breaking up is a good thing. Sometimes you really do feel better afterwards. The other two songs take on different subjects. They sound different from one another. But not so different as not be punk anymore. I wonder what the rest of the CD sounds like.
LINE UP: Lisa (v/b), Pat (d), Dora (g/v)
ADDRESS: SUGARPUSS, 805 East 7th Street # 3, Long Beach CA 90813, USA
EMAIL: sugarpuss@sugarpuss.net or booking@sugarpuss.net
WEBSITE: www.sugarpuss.net
by: Jack Little (MM#35/March 2004)
STARCRASHER-
S/T
US Demo CD 2002
6 TRACKS: Never Again - Count Me Out - Need To Know - Okay – Everything -Nothing You Say
Suppose we combine THE GOGO’S and THE BANGLES, with PAT BENATAR on vocals. What we get then is a sound like STAR CRASHER. All six songs have a nice rock sound to them. Natalie Pool’s voice sounds a lot like PAT BENATAR. Maybe she doesn’t have quite the same range. But then most people don’t. Natalie also plays guitar. Robin Kurschner keeps drumming at a good pace. These songs don’t get dull for that reason. Even more rhythm comes from the guitars. Jennifer Taylor plays steadily to keep the excitement up. This kind of music needs a good bass line to keep it from becoming nerve wrecking. Terese Ramirez provides this. Three of the songs are possitive about relationships. This is refreshing, considering some of the things you hear. Everything has heavier guitar than the next. It’s even more nergetic. She’s enthusiastic about her relationship. She wants him around more and more. “Nothing You Say” is a fast song. She’s happy to see him again. She likes to have him around. “Okay” starts slower. It picks up as it goes along. She has thought things over. She decides she’s better with him, than without him. The less possitive songs are upbeat too. A lot of people think this rocks. All the songs last about three minutes. STAR CRASHER could be ready for radio.
LINE UP: Natalie Pool (v, g), Robin Kurschner (d), Jenifer Taylor (g), Terese Ramirez (b)
ADDRESS: STAR CRASHER, c/o P. O. Box 1449, Fullerton CA 92836, USA
EMAIL: info@starcrasher.com
WEBSITE: www.starcrasher.com
by: Jack Little (MM#35/March 2004)
THEA-
S/T
US Demo CD 2002
4 TRACKS: Damaged Goods - Species Closeout - Melted Wax - Fun House
Thea Keaney’s music is heavier than most singer songwriters. Rock and roll fans will think this is too soft. The political content of some of the songs will be understood by punks. THEA’s melodies aren’t as wreckless as punk rock. The most original song on this four track demo is “Species Closeout”. It describes a point of view that some people have. That other forms of life becoming extinct. That we should use them while we still have them. The trouble as THEA and others see it, is that we’re the ones who are breeding too fast. We’re to the point where we are the ones squeezing chimpansees and others out. This one has the hardest sound to it. The intensity fits the subject. “Fun House” is about a woman’s view of herself. She’s been deceived and hurt. She doesn’t think someone other than herself will be able to understand what she’s gone through. She concludes that she’s not here for men to enjoy. She’s not their fun house. The vocals are intense. THEA expresses the emotion well. The remaining two are softer. They have more to do with emotional pain. It’s true that it’s not a new subject. THEA revisits them and gives us the benefit of her view of them.
LINE UP: Thea Kearney (v, g), Kennan Keating (g, b), Bobbi Rea (d)
EMAIL: thea@theamusic.com
WEBSITE: www.theamusic.com
by: Jack Little (MM#35/March 2004)
TWILIGHT ODYSSEY-
S/T
US Demo CD 2003
3 TRACKS: Gettysburg – The Endless Days Of A Stranger – Defiler
TWILIGHT ODYSSEY, I had never heard of them before. Okay, let’s give these three songs a spin or two, for about seventeen minutes. AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! “Gettysburg” is on first…. What a great riff! High pincing vocals of Pamela and a great composition. This is ultrasupercool megagreatwonderfulawesomefantastic stuff!!! Mix the vocalist of MEANSTREAK or ICRI’S WITCH with the godz of the eighties US Metal scene like S.A. SLAYER, CIRITH UNGOL, JAG PANZER, HALLOWEEN, BREAKER, IRON CROSS, etc. and you’ll get a sound, that comes very close to the sound of TWILIGHT ODYSSEY. The second song “The Endless Days Of A Stranger” has got an opening riff that will remind you of IRON MAIDEN, and if it doesn’t, then you’d better go to a doctor to get your ears tested. The chorus is great to raise your fists and yell, and the guitarsolos are just one of a kind. I think, my neighbours know the song exactly, from the beginning to the very end, after hearing it so many times already. And nothing can change this positive review! Not even the long “Defiler”, which is worthy of more than seven minutes of heavenly US Metal. The highest quality is met here. Please do me, the band and yourself a favour. Buy the f*cking demo and cherish it like it was your last possession on earth, because this is the purest in metal on earth. It’s better to spend your last dollars to a great product like this, than to spend it on a band that only does half the job. TWILIGHT ODYSSEY, remember this name. BUY OR DIE!!!
LINE UP: Pamela “P.J.” Berlinghof (v), Ben Asaro (g/synth), Dan Castro (g), Gennady Khirich (b), Sal Pellerito (dr)
ADDRESS: TWLIGHT ODYSSEY, c/o 359A 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA.
EMAIL: info@twilight-odyssey.com
WEBSITE:
www.twilight-odyssey.com
by: Toine van Poorten (MM#35/March 2004)