Bury the Sun

The first demo these guys released included a lot of groove, little leads and a strange mix of vocals. It left you wondering what they would be doing next as they had tons of influence but little imagination.

Right away you can tell that on this demo they are putting their imagination into full gear. The leads are much more present. Actually so much that the groove of the power cords are gone. It wasn't too missed because it's something that has been over done many times before through the age of nu-metal. The vocals change from deep Chris Barnes type growls to metalcore growls (ala Lamb of God) to hits of clean vocals. The metalcore growls could easily be some of the best I have heard even out doing the metalcore bands that do it almost perfectly. It may only be their second demo but as tight as these guys play, it sounds like they've really found their own ground.

The first track hits hard. The vocals are storming and the guitars blast the shit out of your speakers. It has a metalcore type feel to it but it doesn't matter because it sounds so blasted good. There are no break downs, the whole song just storms through. Honestly, I can't stress enough how much the leads sound like Lamb of God... Only better.

The second track 'Binding' keeps the pace going. This time hitting with deeper vocals some double picking riffs and pinch harmonics. The solos are only little hints as to what they should really be attempting though. The clean tone break down that lasts for about 15-20 seconds is quite suprising after such an onslaught of crunching riffs. It still sounds very metalcore. The vocals are much better than their previous demo. It really is something else to listen to the mix of styles they use.

'Bleeding lead' finally shows some thrashy riffs during the 40 second long intro. It hits in a Slayer-type esque. The chorus is filled with a lead that would almost make old-Korn jealous but in the background you can hear the thumping thrash chugging along. This song is the whole package. They have really found their own form here. The solos hit hard and fast, just like what they had been hinting at during their previous demo. The entire song as a whole could quite possibly be the fastest song on the demo.

I can't really call them duel-leads because they arn't always following each other. Dueling-leads could be a closer term. The guitarists duel at each other throughout the demo. With each riff they want to out do each other and achieve such a greater height. 'The Antagonist' shows this greatly with the slamming leads. The clean vocals in the song are a great addition. For those who may not be a full fan of this thrashy-metalcore slaughter then it maybe the breath of fresh air you've been looking for. It doesn't last long but it definitely fits and shows that this band really does want to add something to the metal scene; and become a staple band instead of following the pack.

The last track is a re-recording of 'Pulse' which originally appeared on the first demo. This has been completely reworked to fit the metalcore feel to this album. It's faster and shorter than the original version and hits MUCH harder. Still present is the melodic power corded chorus. The only one of it's kind on the album. Does that make it out of place? Well, not really. But it makes it obvious that they didn't have their own sound while writing this song.

Some people get scared when you say the term 'metalcore', some even get completely enraged and claim it isn't metal. But when done properly such as this, it can sound extremely ass-kicking and in tune. There are not many bands that fall under this exact style but I can say that if these guys keep it up, they could easily shine and pave the path for future acts.

Go to their website and download the demo, you will not be disappointed.