Promo 1

Did I ever say that I had a weak spot for cheesy, hook filled, catchy pseudo thrash? Well if it's done really well, and Maple Cross delivers on all fronts, then I do. From the sing along choruses to the catchy riffs to the screamed vocals to the many tempo changes, this album is more fun than a pile of dead babies.

The first track, "Invincibles," opens up with a great old school thrash mosh riff, then you get a nice hook. Then the vocals kick in. I don't have a lyric sheet, and what I can interpret is cheesy, but it works within the context of the music. The best part of this song is the sing along chorus in the middle. I always love those parts of the old thrash classics, and these guys pull off the retro style very well.

The other two songs on this album don't really differ from the formula set up by the first track and they are both equally enjoyable. Catchy and fun. Sometimes they go a little over the top, but that's to be expected. All in all a great demo. When the full length is finally released I'll track it down to see if it lives up to the standard set by this album.

Now you may look at the score I gave these guys and say, why just 3 skulls? It's true that I had nothing but good things to say about this demo, but I really can't give a band that is rehashing old ideas over and over any higher than three skulls, no matter how well it's done. I love bands that give a kick back to the old way of doing things, but I don't think they are worthy of very high scores.

Originally published @ www.metaljudgment.com (c) 2003