On a Dead Machine "s/t" CD
[self-released]
Cool, here's another three-song demo of intriguing material from this Tennessee band. It's heavy, but it's not really metallic, and it's got an emo/indie vibe with lots of melody, but it's not really what I would classify as falling into that genre either. The vocals mix scathing screams and slightly high-pitched singing, adding to the musical contrast very effectively. The songwriting is fairly streamlined and memorable without dragging on for too long or getting too simple or anything like that. The drumming is fucking awesome and really adds a lot of subtle flare to the compositions, the bassist plays hard with his fingers and makes his notes cut through to the center, etc. The guitar parts range from straightforward melodic chords or sparse clean passages to almost jarring dissonance, but it's all very tasteful and it's not chaotic or anything like that. It's almost catchy in a way, largely due to the vocal lines, but it's never what I would hint at as "poppy". The sound is quite consistent, though a tad better than their last demo. The mix has been evened out just a little and everything is a little smoother and more uniform. I wouldn't really mess with much, least of all for a demo. For a demo this sounds astoundingly excellent. Also not unlike their last demo, the CD-R comes in a pretty professional looking slim jewel case with full color artwork that has a strange sort of digital aesthetic to it (it's basically identical to the last demo's cover but using different colors). The lyrics aren't included, so I'm still curious on that front. I'll be stunned and majorly disappointed if this band doesn't get signed in the very near future. I'm rarely this interested in bands at the demo stage, but these guys clearly have a knack for recording properly, they write great songs, and they handle themselves professionally, so what more could you ask for? Fans of hard hitting post-hardcore tinged material that has a little bit of everything tossed in the mix should check this band out. I'm totally looking forward to hearing a full-length. (8/10)
Running time - 10:13, Tracks: 3
[Notable tracks: A Million Helicopters and One Dollar, You First]
On a Dead Machine - http://www.onadeadmachine.com

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