Couldn't have said the following better myself.

Quote:

I, for one, would rather listen to the band's "unrefined" sweat-moistened unfledged sound which usually lies at the heart of their first demo than enjoying a better version of it with mixing consoles, monitor speakers and MIDI workstations all entrenched to it, dulcifying its ruggedness.

Usually the demos still possess some magic which is lacking on a band's debut.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.08.2011 at 11:52

Usually the demos still possess some magic which is lacking on a band's debut.

Agreed. And I think, that very magical sound that usually vanishes with the demos, is what defines the band's true identity and shows their "pristine" skills, not with the likes of Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner or Regain working behind the curtains honing its quality.

By the way, after I literally got blown away by Akelei's debut, I checked their 2008 demo "Promo '08" and much to my surprise, there wasn't any notable difference between the two. I hope they won't get seduced by a greedy record label and change their original sound.

Written by Mindheist on 07.08.2011 at 18:46

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.08.2011 at 11:52

Usually the demos still possess some magic which is lacking on a band's debut.

Agreed. And I think, that very magical sound that usually vanishes with the demos, is what defines the band's true identity and shows their "pristine" skills, not with the likes of Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner or Regain working behind the curtains honing its quality.

By the way, after I literally got blown away by Akelei's debut, I checked their 2008 demo "Promo '08" and much to my surprise, there wasn't any notable difference between the two. I hope they won't get seduced by a greedy record label and change their original sound.

No label has signed them yet., unfortunately. But self-releasing the stuff also helps cause then you can do what you want. And Misha wants total control, I can assure you.

Good to know .

"amazing technical riffs"

Jungle Rot technical? Really? Is that even possible? Jungle Rot is simple, stupid, death metal for cavemen, which is why they're great. I can only imagine that their demo would sound similar to a bunch of rocks being hit together.

Written by [user id=111774] on 07.08.2011 at 21:18

Jungle Rot technical? Really? Is that even possible? Jungle Rot is simple, stupid, death metal for cavemen, which is why they're great. I can only imagine that their demo would sound similar to a bunch of rocks being hit together.

You know, when most people see the term "technical" in a review, they usually presume it may refer to complex rhythms and song structures. And while I partially agree with them on that point, I still believe there's another side to it that we've been neglecting a lot lately. Jungle Rot's case is no exception, their early deliveries are very technical, not anywhere near Atheist, Cynic, Persefone, Necrophagist or Ordinance of course, but they hold a considerable amount of tortuous riffs. Take Skin The Living, Slaughter The Weak or Darkness Foretold for example, I think you'll agree with me if I say that they are clearly more intricate than What Horrors Await or Kill On Command, their tabs are testimony to that but that hasn't refrained us from assuming that all of them sound relatively the same, and I think it's not entirely true .

Now about "simple, stupid, death metal for cavemen", I really don't know what to say here. I'm actually being torn between two unbelievably flimsy formulas of yours. The first being, assuming that everything that appears simple and easy to produce is stupid and thus suitable for cavemen only and the second being, assuming that cavemen listen only to simple stupid death metal. Here's what I think, an album being simple doesn't make it vulgar and definitely not stupid, in fact, it could be pretty enjoyable (The Crown's Possessed 13). As for the second formula, I don't think that cavemen had a soft spot for death metal, like at all , but I think they would defintely have liked Slayer though .

As for your statement "I can only imagine that their demo would sound similar to a bunch of rocks being hit together", let me tell you that you're mistaken. We may not agree on the technical part but I'm sure you'll change your mind if you listen to it again .

Might be very true regarding demos. I know two cases of local bands sounding crappier/too processed/pussyfied after releasing something through a label. One had an amazingly sounding demo, which got completely watered down after a more "sophisticated" recording. Another band I heard when they were rehearsing and they totally killed with brutality; when I listened to the recorded versions of the songs, there were lots of unnecessary effects and no raw power. Meh. Maybe I should start checking out demos...