Something Must Die "s/t" CD
[self-released]
Ironic that some of the finest metalcore (emphasis on the metal) I've heard in quite some time comes from this meagerly packaged self-released demo rather than a decent label of any sort. First things first this thing sounds sweet as shit for a fucking demo. Yeah, it needs a bit of touching up, but 95% of the metalcore that I get for review from most labels sounds like dirt compared to this. The guitars are heavy as fuckin' hell, the bass thickens things up, the drums are rigid but possess a lot of thickness and end up sounding pretty good, and the vocals are well placed in the mix. There's probably a smidge much low-end lingering around in there, but for the most part they're god damn sure on the right track. Writing-wise they're also well set. The melodic Swedish styled riffs are actually good, not to mention minimal (a few dual guitar harmonies or what have you), the dissonant riffs are strong and never venture into overly frantic or chaotic territory, the chunky rhythms driving the compositions aren't groove-based and flirt with lots of cool time signatures, and they hit on a few thrashy picking patterns that don't sound derivative either. The vocals sway from searing screams to growls, mainly the former (thankfully - growls just don't fit what they're doing musically). I actually quite like this material. I'm not blown away, but it's forceful and interesting despite the fact that it's not too incredibly diverse, and I'd say it's somewhat stripped down from a technical standpoint in large form. The clean break that opens into some tribal percussion and sweet layered rhythms in "I Swear They're Watching Me" is fucking awesome - certainly one of the most creative moments herein, though I have to stress that I don't find this to be generic per se. A lot of it's nothing new, but the sheer fact that they write very good songs puts them leagues above most of their counterparts. The songs are also damn short, which keeps the energy level high and doesn't allow time for anything to drag. It's not too melodic, not too in your face... it's just good, strong metalcore with a modern lean. Sadly there's no package, the CD-R has some abstract art and the tracklist on the face, and the disc is in a white paper sleeve. I know it's economical, but it's really important for bands to make an impact with how they present their demos, and this certainly lacks that. And I think that hurts in a way because the music is so much fucking better than that, it really deserves more. I can't imagine this band not being signed, aside from the fact that there's just no justice in the world. This is a lot better and a lot more promising at this stage than most of the recent heavy releases from labels like Victory and stuff, so assuming this band is down with touring labels would be fucking foolish not to pick them up. I'm definitely impressed by this effort. Look out for these guys. Seriously... labels... wake the fuck up and sign these guys instead of another band with pretty hair and all the right tattoos. (7/10)
Running time - 11:23, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Bleed for No One, I Swear They're Watching Me, and the other two are also pretty damn cool]
Something Must Die - http://www.somethingmustdie.net

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