Godoff

Godoff is the latest promo demo of the Algerian band Barbaros. Three new tracks (plus one intro) and three old but remixed one can be found on this release. After some line-up changes, the band consists now of three members and judging from the low quality that goes often along with one-man bands, this is a step in the right direction. As the tracks have no liner notes – and I have just a Xerox-copies sheet of paper in front of me – it remains unknown whether the new members of the band are/were actually involved in the song-writing as well or whether their position does not exceed playing what they are told; the future might clear matters up.

Anyway, Barbaros' music is rather fast and raw black metal but due to the thin production it lacks a bit of power. Yet, the typical blast segments can be found, a bit of tremolo-picking and similar stuff. Moreover, the compositions are quite consistent in their approach and the band stuck to a certain concept and never really went away from it. Is this bad? Well, do not expect the genre re-invented here, but the listener will undoubtedly notice that the band is not only able to play their instruments, they have some skill when it comes to the song-writing. Overtly plain or boring passages cannot be found on this release and each composition offers to the listener something 'new'; this term should not be stressed over excess, though. There is little doubt about what influenced this band: the early days of the black metal scene. Except for the intro no samples can be found and also keyboards have been avoided while recording this demo. Two guitar lines can be found and they work together neatly and create a 'Dark Thronish atmosphere' here. A bass seems to be somewhere is the back of it all, but it has been drowned a bit. Further, the vocals are some form of croaking/growling and appears also rather in the back row.

Some attention has to be drawn towards the drums and their very monotonous play; Land of no compromise for instance. According to the sheet that came with this demo, the band has actually an drummer in their ranks, so at least no complains about a drum-machine this time; my suspicions are that they have been programmed. Yet the snare is simply too dominant here and too much focus is put on it; while the cymbals are somewhere in the back. Another slightly annoying is the shifted balance of this release. The left speaker would slightly dominate over the right one, there would be the guitars, and accordingly would the listener have some difficulties in thoroughly enjoying this piece of art. Well, the production is raw but not excessively, yet the impact is on a measurable level. Of course can be imbalances as the sound of the instruments traced back to this issue and also the social/cultural environment of the band had an impact on the production of this demo.

Final bits and bytes
This demo has some nice moments, yet the drummer stretches my patience at times. Some interesting melodies and riff-structures have found their way on this release and by comparing the art to the band's earlier outputs, My blood for… Tamazgha for instance, then Godoff is most certainly a step in the right direction. Black metal has not been invented anew with this release, but the quality is quite good and especially a track like Old Shadows, it comes with some nice motives, motivates the listener to return to this demo.

My edition comes with a Xerox-copies A4 sheet of paper and a CDr... maybe there is a 'real' edition out there, but this is unknown to me.

Recommended tracks: Old Shadows, Burn in War

Edit:
An expanded version with a discussion of the re-release by Psycho Originals, can be found here:
http://www.archive.org/details/ADeadSpotOfLight...Number14