Ruina "s/t" CD
[self-released]
Holy shit! I had no idea what to expect from this Brazilian band, but this is way heavier and more intense than I had anticipated! It's basically thick and monstrous melodic hardcore/punk with a dirty edge to it, not at all unlike the His Hero is Gone/Tragedy school of playing (with a little sludgier Damnation A.D. style of rhythm playing seeping in on occasion). Expect plenty of driving chord progressions with melodic lead passages layered over top, gruffly barked vocals, pounding basslines, etc. The lengthy instrumental passage taking up the latter half of "Pesar" is a bit more spacious than is often the case, and the melodic layers are a little eerier as well. "Ces Cicatrices Deviendront Mes Rides" builds up slowly in a similar manner but once the speed kicks in remains slightly more abrasive, slowing back down again later and giving the vocals more of a role than in the opening track. "Lustrum" has the slowest and most ominous intro, complete with resonant and distant percussion with lots of open chords and a gradual increase to a midpaced set of chords that really stands out a lot as the most memorable passage of the demo. The production gets them by fine, but they definitely need a fuller recording to do the full amount of damage. I'd up the bass, give the guitars more crunch, and overall just shoot for something clearer and brighter that doesn't lose its slightly raw edge. The CD-R comes in a simple xeroxed sleeve with the band name amidst abstract textures on the cover, and some of what I assume are lyrics on the back over an image of a snake. The back cover can be hard to read and looks a little sloppy, but I actually like the roughness of the cover. This is an awesome fucking demo. This is already worthy of being released on a 7", and I'll be stunned if I don't see this band start getting more attention. They're not totally innovative but they've got enough of their own thing going on to make a difference, and all fans of such styles should absolutely take note of this. Awesome. (7/10)
Running time - 13:36, Tracks: 3
[Notable tracks: all three are strong but "Lustrum" takes the cake]
Ruina - pedra79@hotmail.com

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