Ira

Well another week, another demo or five to listen to. Very few surprises this week. Another demo that I can’t hate because it’s decent enough, but I can’t recommend either because it's so fucking generic that it really wouldn’t be worth the discerning metalhead's time. It seems like every week I saw more or less the same thing: band X isn’t bad, but band X isn’t good. It’s boring to write the same goddamned review time after time. Ultimately I believe this is a reflection of the metal world as a whole. Current releases that are actually worthwhile are few and far between, and the albums that are actually worthy of praise seem to get buried under the loads of shitty, over-hyped, over-marketed dogshit that has been done a thousand times before. If I wanted to hear another At The Gates, I would listen to At The fucking Gates, not the five thousandth band to do an even more boring version of ÒSlaughter of the Soul.Ó Frankly the whole state of things is pissing me off, and I know I’m not really even talking about this demo, but I don’t see what the point is when most every demo I get is a big pile of bleh that isn’t worthy of hatred or praise.

The Last Winter - well, there isn’t much to say here. Two tracks, both over ten minutes long when five minutes for each would suffice. Again nothing here that hasn’t been done before. Thrashy, deathy type stuff in the vein of every other band that is doing this style. Stagnation is the name of the game folks, and The Last Winter does it well! Of course the people at Century Media and Nuclear Blast won’t care, because there are enough idiot metal fans who will gobble this shit up if it’s packaged the right way and compared to all the right bands. OMG!!! Another band copying At The Gates and Opeth!!!! Let’s buy it by the truckloads and ignore anything that may have an ounce of originality and quality!!!!!

I know this rant is long-winded and full of ideals, but cmon, this is heavy fucking metal! Enough of the lame crap. Metal has always been about shaking things up and innovating and not settling for the status quo. It’s time for you unsigned bands to take fucking charge and create something worthwhile.

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