Skodag "Demo" CD
[self-released]
Holy shit! Finally a demo surprises me for the better! I kind of thought this might not be so hot since it's visually a little boring (though still clean and effective) and the band name seems odd, but I was way wrong! (I didn't know the band featured former members of the mighty Kalibas until after I wrote the review.) I'm talking sick death/grind with excellent production... and these motherfuckers know what's up on all fronts! The songs tend to be short and focused, but with no lack of technicality or variety, as there's definitely a lot going on. Imagine taking the frantic breakneck changes, unusual time signatures, and thick dissonance of Gorguts and making it more accessible, then blending that with a mix of classic American death metal and grindcore, plus some contemporary Polish death metal. Seriously, this is amazing material... one of the best demos I've ever received in my five years of doing this site to date. "Symbolizing My Hate" is the shortest piece, not to mention the fastest, with tons of ripping riffs where the bassist actually keeps up with the guitars 100% for an impressive display of picking acrobatics and relentless speeds. "Waiting in the Shadows" is similar but features more dissonance and tempo changes for a catchier framework that I'm all over. "Subsistence" is slower and slightly longer with more of a winding riff style that allows the odd time signatures more room to shine, with the drum fills taking more of a prominent role within the decidedly more linear song structure and showing off the drummer's abilities as well. (The sample that closes the track is unnecessary and sort of kills the vibe, but I can let that slide.) Also notable is the fact that the vocals, which are basically a growled sort of scream or something, are really faintly hoarse, which is awesome for giving them a unique feel and a powerful edge that comes across as quite genuine in aggression. And the sound? Fucking beautiful! I shit you not, this sounds better than most full-lengths that I hear from such genres. Everything is totally clear, the drums sound natural, the bass is very evident behind the guitars, nothing overpowers the mix, etc. The guitar tone is very controlled yet crunchy, the bass is defined but still adds mass... I'm floored. Whatever you guys do, record everything else you do exactly like this. I've never done this before, but as an aside, this demo was produced and engineered by a dude named Doug White at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, NY. Labels and bands: For the love of Christ (figure of speech), use this guy! This can't possibly be a fluke, he must know his shit. The CD-R comes in a slim jewel case with a xeroxed insert that has some artwork consisting of skulls and bold text for minimal credits, and that's basically it. I'd like to see lyrics in hopes that they're on the same level of quality as everything else, but I honestly don't even care. These songs kick ass. I'll kill someone if this band doesn't get signed. They must already be signed? If not then the state of metal as we know it is fuckin' retarded and I quit. (8/10)
Running time - 8:51, Tracks: 3
[Notable tracks: all three are great but "Subsistence" totally kills]
Skodag - skodag@hotmail.com

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