Ethereal - Demo '07
Self-Released
2007
"Swedish" and "death metal" go together like "Swiss" and "chocolate." That's true for Ethereal, which sounds neither like its name nor the signature style of its Gothenburg area home. Instead, this band does straight-up death metal that balances simplicity and technicality.
What jumps out immediately is the band's tightness. The performances are surgical, with production on a par with professionally recorded albums. Atypically for metal, bass lines are warm and audible. The best song, "Open Wound Salvation," comes first - a good move for a demo. It's a catchy headbanger with a few technical runs for color. "What Is Worst?" does likewise, with a solid feel that recalls Kataklysm or Bolt Thrower. "Driven by Hatred" has chugging riffs that do that half-time Behemoth "Conquer All" thing, with precise machine gun bursts near the end.
No reinventing the wheel here - just well-done death metal with well-done artwork and a strong sense of purpose overall.
Labels: clee, death metal, self-released, sweden
2 Comments:
Not bad. I like this. The intro to that first track is great, 'cause I was like, "Ugh, that recording is WEAK!" and then it was skipping and I was annoyed, and then it REALLY kicked in, ha. Nice.
This is actually quite enjoyable. Good songwriting in death metal is hard to find, but these dudes seem to pull it off.
I'm very happy to hear demos sound as good or better than some very handsomely paid-for productions by big names. Hopefully soon enough - and provided that most bands have a techhead member - people will produce their own stuff in their own homes and put out the music they want, when they want as they want it, for minimal costs.
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