Hmmm, this Italian trio plays some strangely jazzy, avant-garde death metal, somewhat comparable to bands like Cynic, Atheist, and Pestilence, but certainly not a replica of any of those bands. In fact, literal similarities to those artists are few and far between here, but there's certainly a link simply based on the picking patterns and overall creativity of the influences being blended together alone. The drumming is absolutely awesome with tons of excellent fills and patterns with slick little cymbal work and lots of tasteful flare, and the basslines roam around very nicely in between the guitars and percussion as well. The guitars are strange in that they're very lightly distorted, creating a really spacious atmosphere with tons of panning and dual guitar interaction (the vocalist is the only guitarist but they've made excellent use of layering in the studio) that at times lends a math rock sort of vibe to the rhythms. "Next Darkest Dream" also has an absolutely beautiful passage that layers fingerpicked acoustic guitars with faint distorted chords. Killer stuff. "Collecting Scars" is faster and slightly more straightforward, though still offering up some wild leads and a weird sort of improvisational feel at times, with almost constant guitar panning that can get rather dizzying. More specifically regarding the recording, it's pretty good, but I am bothered by the guitar tone. The lightness of the distortion does allow for a lot of space and clarity, but it also comes across as a bit weak and somehow muddy. Everything else sounds great though, including the strained vocal snarls (they're not really screaming or growling, it works though). So I would say give the guitars a little more fire to the distortion and mix the bass louder to make it a more prominent instrument, because the bassist is fucking great. Hell, all of these guys are amazing players, so I'm pretty psyched about this demo. The CD-R comes in a black and white cover without lyrics or anything, just credits, contact information, and a weird image on the cover that looks like leeches or something. It's not recognizable but definitely looks unsettling. Despite very minor flaws this is a damn promising demo. Italy seems to have some very interesting technical metal bands, and I would certainly rank Carnal Rapture as one of the more curious that I've heard in recent times. I'm now blown away, but I would be disappointed if they didn't get signed. With the right budget and ample time in the studio I think these guys could come up with some very fucking intriguing material. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
[self-released]
Running time - 10:26, Tracks: 2
[Notable tracks: both are pretty damn good]
Carnal Rapture - [email protected]
