It’s Sunday again so prepare yourself for some more demos from bands that might already be a name to you because of either their demo having been released on physical format already or their full-length debut being right in front of you.
Vile Justice – Demo (Crossover/Hardcore Punk 2020 – Slovakia)
If you are into underground Crossover Hardcore and have known since SMRT RAZUMA how genius this genre can sound in the Eastern Bloc, you should immediately take a look at the Slovakian demo by VILE JUSTICE, which has recently been digitally released. Musically the combo moves somewhere between LOWEST CREATURE, ENFORCED and some BLIND AUTHORITY. The partly Oi-based, dull but not blunt sounding vocals bark out of their souls in every song and make the sound absolutely authentic and at the same time really dirty. The riffing is solid and very powerful, but could use a little more variety in the future, maybe in the form of more melody or solo parts. However, the instrumentals are generally quite strong for a demo and suggest that the band members have been active in other projects before or are still doing so. Who knows, it doesn’t matter, because this demo is convincing from the beginning to the end, it’s really entertaining and, especially thanks to the cymbal-heavy drumming, it raises a lot of dust. No matter if you like mosh, stomp or side-to-side, VILE JUSTICE satisfy all wishes you can have for a Crossover Hardcore record. For their first output, the production was also very well done. The songs thunder neatly mixed out of the speakers and sound neither too smooth nor too mangy and in my opinion they found the perfect balance to express their music.
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Torture Tomb – Killing To See How It Feels (Death Metal/Hardcore 2020 – USA)
You are fan of bands like GATECREEPER, OUTER HEAVEN and FUMING MOUTH? Then you should get in touch with TORTURE TOMB immediately. The Hardcore influence in this band is no surprise, because among others the guitarist of KNOCKED LOOSE is on board, who is responsible for the outstanding raw vocals which sound like someone puking in a bucket. After a few remarkable first records but with a kind of mediocre sound quality, the band now manages for the first time to make their sound really burst out with a better production than before on their KILLING TO SEE HOW IT FEELS EP – and therefore shows what they are really made of. On this 3-song record you can expect really filthy guitar playing and smashing drumming to whose sounds you would definitely want to destroy something. The structure of the songs is kept simple and alternates between OBITUARY styled Death Metal and incredibly brutal mosh parts that make you want to kill to see how it feels. You will hear that KILLING TO SEE HOW IT FEELS sounds exactly as it promises and doesn’t sound like another gimmick record because of its authentic frustration coming in audio wrecking ball style.
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Gravesend – Preparations for Human Disposal (Deathgrind/Hardcore/Noise 2020 – USA)
There’s a new band in New York that you, at least in my opinion, really need to have on your screen when you’re on aggressive Grind/HC. On their first release PREPARATIONS FOR HUMAN DISPOSAL, GRAVESEND deliver one neck-breaker after another, mixing their brilliant, fast grindparts with stomping breaks and a lot of 90s Hardcore elements. The sound brings authentic street attitude to the listener and sounds like a reckoning with urban injustice. Besides the horror VHS-styled synthesizer intro and outro, there are also a few noise elements among the instrumental passages to make the atmosphere more bleak. The drums thrill especially with their cymbal playing in the slower sequences and always manage to give the listener a few slaps in the face. The mostly ultra-fast Deathgrind riffing could use some more variety in the future, but still delivers a solid performance with distinctive parts. Everyone of you who is also angry about the current world situation but hasn’t found the right valve to unload the rage yet should listen to GRAVESEND – PREPARATIONS FOR HUMAN DISPOSAL and let their anger run free afterwards.
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Execution Hour – The Blade Descends (Crossover Hardcore 2020 – USA)
Bad mood and no sound to get over it? Then check out the new Crossover Hardcore band EXECUTION HOUR from Washington D.C. With their first record THE BLADE DESCENDS the combo delivers stomping and metallic Hardcore Punk, which comes along extremely angry by its brutal breaks and striking motorcycle melodies, although the tempo is almost entirely in the normal range and only rarely rises. If you like to listen to four angry tracks, which musically are somewhere between HIGH COMMAND and 100 DEMONS, you should listen to THE BLADE DESCENDS as soon as possible, because EXECUTION HOUR leave a good impression with their demo and should be kept in mind by genre fans in the future.
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Eigrom – Demo 2020 (Deathgrind/Crust 2020 – Germany)
With EIGROM I discovered quite a new Grindcore band from Germany, whose first demo entertained me pretty well. The sound is somewhere between ultra-fast HM2 Grindcore and rancid Crust Punk and is sometimes interspersed with short samples. If you like dirty, primitive, no-frills in-your-face Grindcore where you get roared at by angry growls and that comes across with slight noise-influences, you can’t go wrong and should listen to this release. EIGROM got off to a good start and should definitely be inspected live after Corona if you get the chance to.
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Ixaxaar Nexia – Demo MMXX (Black/Death Metal 2020 – Canada)
Oh, man, this demo was literally blowing my mind. If you like merciless Black/Death Metal you have to take a closer look at IXAXAAR NEXIA, because on their debut record the Canadians bring completely crazy sounding 90s Death Metal in Sci-Fi horror setting to the listener. The almost constant fast sawing riffing reminds of the furious bluster of bands like INCANTATION or IMMOLATION, but mixed with elements from War Metal. The atmosphere on the other hand is more in the nightmarish direction of bands like ULCERATE. Except for the harmonious synth- and noise ridden interlude between the two songs you hardly get a breather. Especially the furious drumming including an intense snare pushes you forward and beats everything up, which has even the slightest impudence to get in the way. The instruments are supported by various vocals, which sound no less aggressive and are presented by monstrous growls, poisonous nagging and bloodcurdling roars. Of course the sound is not yet fully perfected and the production still has a bit of space left, but for a demo this is already superior quality. Those who are into ruthless Death Metal shouldn’t miss the demo of IXAXAAR NEXIA because this record spreads fear and terror like a comet flying towards the earth and strikes just as violently. Highly recommended and absolutly crushing stuff!
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