loading...Competent at times, but still needs work. - 45%
Still needs work, indeed. Not that that is a bad thing. There is always room for improvement, after all. Although I cannot in good faith say that I enjoy this demo, it isn't the most terrible thing I've ever heard, and is really quite competent for a demo.
We start out with Black Sunrise, which has a decent intro. That melodic guitar lick is pretty fun. And then the vocalist kicks in. Apparently the vocals where thrown together pretty quickly, and I'm afraid that shows. The vocal work in this song is just.... well, I'll be honest, it pretty much sucks. Otherwise, some decent riffs in this song, although that middle section is really weak, particularly that solo. The riff that kicks in afterwards is pretty good. The rest of the song is pretty much a repeat of the first part of the song.
Next up is the band's namesake, Hail to Arms. This song is pretty fun, probably the best on on here. A good riff going, although the drumming is pretty standard and lackluster. Vocals are a bit better this time around, although still not as good as they could be. The whole "Hail! To! Arms!" thing in the chorus is kinda cheesy, but hey, its works alright. The midsection is also fun, with a pretty good solo. As for the high notes that the vocalist does periodically... well, not bad, but Rob Halford he isn't. More like John Greely, but not nearly as awesome. Overall a fun song.
Lake of Mystery just sucks. Its boring, its plodding, the vocals are pretty bad, and that part at about 0:36 with that drum "solo" is just terrible. Throwaway track.
A Razor Away From Hell has this drawn-out high note as the opener, which is both awesome and annoying at the same time. If it were Tim Owens or Rob Halford, it would have been godly, but its not a bad attempt, either. The rest of the song is actually kind of boring, but it kicks the shit out of the previous track. And that periodic Power/Thrash riffage is fun stuff. That mid-section at times reminds me a bit of Priest. Afterwards the song gets somewhat sloppy, but it finishes before any major damage can be done.
The Velvet Sound of Terror starts out okay, and is pretty good throughout, but the vocal work really detracts from this one. Pretty much the same pace throughout, and maybe a bit overly long, with drums a bit high in the mix. Overall, it falls somewhere between A Razor Away From Hell and Lake of Mystery.
The last track, Metal Revenge, is probably the second best track on here. Bordoring on Thrash a times, but where have I heard that riff before...? This one is a catchy number, with a pretty good chorus and fun riffage. Even though the vocals are still pretty crappy, they don't detract from the song that much. A nice, catchy chorus, and a midsection that isn't half bad, although the duel solo is pretty weak. (See: Ram It Down for how to do duel solos!) Pretty well-written song, though, overall.
So, we have two good tracks, two decent tracks, and one almost complete throwaway track. Not really a winner in my book, but hey, its a start. Besides, its just a demo, and supposedly these guys put on a good live show (although winning a Battle of the Bands doesn't quite give a band bragging rights), so perhaps these songs sound better on the live set.
Perhaps a band that should be watched. Time will tell.
Hail To Arms has arrived! - 95%
In a confused world of pop-punk, emo, hardcore and other inferior genres, one band has been handing out real metal in lethal doses, that being Lubbock's own Hail to Arms. This demo has been recorded about two months shy of their one year anniversary as a band, and without a permanent bassist, with vocalist Adam Wright handling bass duties. Taking all the ingredients that make up a successful heavy metal band - screeching vocals, double leads and harmonies, thundering bass and drums, mixing them together real well, adding a sprinkle of Megadeth and about twenty sprinkles of Iron Maiden (see Black Sunrise), you'll get this demo. A quick listen would yield a still young, emerging band's image, yet a long, detailed all-nighter (I have no life) would prove that there's a lot of substance behind the band.
As an early document of Hail to Arms' abilities, this demo delivers quite nicely, even if some of the songs are more concert friendly than the others. The quality is suprisingly good for the budget, and the tightness of the band as a unit already makes itself known, the lead guitarists sounding like they've played together their entire lives, the vocalist handling himself with the confidence of Sebastian Bach, and the drums sounding exactly on the spot.
There were no song choices for the demo, as the band simply put down every song they'd written and were able to perform so far (except for their version of Judas Priest's Breakin' The Law, which they saved for concert performances). The songs included on the demo sound either like already-made classics (Hail to Arms, Black Sunrise), or early versions of excellent songs to come (Metal Revenge, Lake of Mystery). The demo had an amazing response from everyone, including quotes such as "saviors of metal" and "first American true metal band in the last 20 years".
Of course, this demo is in no way a classic, because it simply portrays a band who have yet to showcase their "classic album" recording abilities and allows fans to listen to Hail to Arms outside of the concert hall.