Here's some rugged metalcore from Brazil that has a European sort of flare with lots of chunky rhythms and note-based riffs. At times they hit on a few dual guitar parts or tremolo picked riffs that seem to be Swedish influenced, but rarely, and to my dismay the recording is very ineffective on these tracks, which really holds back what I feel could be some forceful compositions. The bass tone is really plunky ala many 90's metallic hardcore bands, which I sort of like, and the vocals and drums sound quite good for a demo (especially the hoarse, screaming vocals), but the guitar tone, which dominates the mix, is too muddy and lacks crunch. So there's really no power behind most of the guitar riffs, and the mistakes the guitar players make performance wise become really obvious. It's nothing original to my ears, but the songs would be good if the ever critical heaviness of the recording were in place. It would still have some bland moments, and I still think the band would need to practice playing with more energy, but a better guitar sound and mix would really land them on a higher level. The CD-R comes in a thick brown chipboard sleeve screenprinted in black. Some of the image bleeds and breaks apart so at times the lettering can be hard to read (the contact information is indecipherable on the back), but it still looks very cool and effective for a D.I.Y. package. Inside is a xeroxed insert with lyrics and song explanations, all in Portuguese, but based on the imagery used throughout the sleeve I assume it's quite political in nature. Not bad, but it's crucial to tighten up the performances and nail down a grittier guitar tone that would truly convey the emotions the songs are attempting to represent.
[L-Dopa/ Shades Before Dawn]
Running time - 20:09, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: C?rcere, Sil?ncio de Chumbo]
Shades Before Dawn - http://www.shadesbeforedawn.cjb.net
