Cadaver Soiree - Demo 1

Artist: Cadaver Soiree
Album: Demo 1
Year: 2017
Rating: 87/100

Cadaver Soiree do not fuck about. They play their own unique style of old school death metal (think along the lines of Benediction, Death, Obituary and Entombed among others) and while they wear their influences on their sleeve, they are careful not to sound too much like any of them. The Leeds quintet's first demo aims to grab the listener's attention and interest any way it can.

Opening track "Limbless" kicks things off, and it's a riff heavy, groove laden monster that segues seamlessly into a more traditional blastbeat laden middle section, before transitioning comfortably back into the groove heavy ending. "Cordyceps" is next up; this is slightly more traditional death metal fare, plenty of blastbeats and bludgeoning riffs, but neatly avoiding the trap of being brutal for brutal's sake, and subsequently too pedestrian. "Aeons of Lies" rounds proceedings off nicely; although it's the least instant of the three tracks, it still stands up well, and the quintet still possess plenty of fire. There's not a riff or a blastbeat out of place, while vocalist Nate leads the quintet by example, and sounding hugely comfortable as the sole vocalist (he also plays bass and does growled vocals for Leeds funeral doomers Petrichor).

I'm almost gutted that this demo is only three tracks long, but it's more than sufficient for Cadaver Soiree to get their point, and their message, across. This is a thoroughly promising demo from them, and I look forward to seeing where they go from here. I'll leave a link to their Bandcamp page after the track listing, so that you can listen to their sonic assault.

Track listing

1. Limbless
2. Cordyceps
3. Aeons of Lies

http://cadaversoiree.bandcamp.com

Incendiary - Thousand Mile Stare

Artist: Incendiary
Album: Thousand Mile Stare
Year: 2017
Rating: 83/100

Dismissing Incendiary out of hand as just another tough guy hardcore band would be a mistake. After two well received full length records (2009's Crusade and 2013's Cost of Living), the Long Island quintet return with their third effort, Thousand Mile Stare. The big question is, of course, how does it stack up?

Well, from the opening strains of "Still Burning", it gives the listener a tidy indication that Incendiary are a band who like to live up to their name. Vocalist Brendan Garrone has a delivery that is reminiscent of the angrier moments of Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha, while from a musical perspective the first band that comes to mind is fellow NYC Hardcore veterans Madball. Incendiary have more about them than to be just a direct copy, though, with riffs and beatdowns that hit as hard as possible.

If there is any criticism to be made of Thousand Mile Stare, it's that Incendiary are good without ever making the listener feeling like they're pushing to be truly outstanding. That's not necessarily a bad thing in this case; after all, Incendiary do what they do very well, and there's barely a riff or beatdown out of place. I would love to catch them in a live setting.

Track listing

1. Still Burning
2. Hanging From the Family Tree
3. Front Toward Enemy
4. Awakening
5. The Product is You
6. No Purity
7. Hard Truths Cut Both Ways
8. Sell Your Cause
9. Fact or Fiction
10. Poison

Siena Root - A Dream of Lasting Peace

Artist: Siena Root
Album: A Dream of Lasting Peace
Year: 2017
Rating: 78/100

Sweden has always been a good hotbed for the heavier side of music, and as of late has witnessed a resurgence in the stoner/psychedelic rock field. Graveyard, Spiders and Horisont, among others, have been leaders in this particular field, and we can now consider Siena Root one of the best kept secrets of this particular scene. Formed in the late 90s, with numerous line up changes and five albums under their belt since 2004, the Stockholm quintet return with their sixth effort, A Dream of Lasting Peace.

What follows immediately when the album starts is the usual Siena Root fare, a tight, taut rhythm section, gritty blues vocals, and some excellent guitar and Hammond organ work, the latter occasionally being the main instrument to draw focus. Album opener "Secrets" sets the tone from the start quite comfortably, but it doesn't stop there. "The Piper Won't Let You Stay" is a rollicking ballad in the vein of Graveyard's "Too Much is Not Enough", while "Imaginarium" is a gem of a jazz instrumental with a tidy fade out.

If there any criticisms to be found on A Dream of Lasting Peace, it's that Siena Root haven't changed their sonic attack at all from previous album Pioneers. Even despite that, there's definitely something for everyone to enjoy on this one. Definitely worth further investigation.

Track listing

1. Secrets
2. Tales of Independence
3. Sundown
4. The Piper Won't Let You Stay
5. Outlander
6. Growing Underground
7. Empty Streets
8. No Filters
9. Imaginarium
10. The Echoes Unfold