Track Listing
1. Lost control 2. Purging 3. Out for blood 4. Eclipse 5. Absent 6. Dogs Year: 2002 Label: Self Released - Official Site |
RiverRed - 'Demo' - By S. Burrell
Please note before you read on, that I only had three of the six tracks on this demo available to me when writing what you read now, which is a shame, not just because it gives me a very small amount of reviewing material, but because I would have loved to hear the rest of the CD :). I began listening to this demo with as much anticipation and open mindedness as I have for any underground band, and was pleasantly surprised when 'Lost control' began to take full swing. First I hear the clanging of a drum cymbal, and then some scratchy guitaring which begins putting the tune of the song into place. Seconds afterward the bass kicks in, followed shortly by the pounding of the drums, and the three instruments then weld together to create one hell of a catchy piece that you just can't stop yourself from tapping your feet to. Then vocals are blurted out over a strong bassline that fits perfectly with them, and the song blasts on from there. So, a very impressive first track, which admittedly could be improved in many places, but with pretty much no production, leaves you wanting more. We get that two tracks later, with 'Eclipse'. A track very much like the opener in shape (And also with catchiness, as you notice again that your foot is bouncing against the floor.) But a little more hardkore punky in the chorus. Once again there is room for improvement, and once again you remind yourself that without any mixing, dubbing or any other production wizardry, you should expect nothing more. The final track 'Dogs' lunges straight into another catchy, hardkore tune with some much better vocals, and by now if you haven't leapt out of your chair and gone into a head-bobbing frenzy then you should be ashamed. This song provides a great end to the demo, leaving you gasping for more to the extent that you're already writing abusive e-mails to the band asking them why they don't have more tracks available for download. I have been very impressed with this CD, and as soon as their first LP is released I shall make sure I get my hands on it. Another great thing is RiverRed don't sound terribly like anyone, so what more could you ask from a demo? Of course, there are area's where they could improve, such as more variation with songs, and giving the vocals a little more depth, but there is no way a bands first demo is going to be perfect. Therefore I'm more than happy with this CD, I will definitely be keeping my eyes on RiverRed over the coming months... Metal Obsessive Grade: 82% |