Downlord
Grind Trials (ep)
Wydane przez Open Grave RecordsRok wydania Kraj Denmark / UK / USANapisał Wouter6
Prior to signing with Open Grave Records Danish-English-American all-star death metal formation Downlord recorded a number of demos which are officially re-issued with "Grind Trials". These demos, conveniently named "Demo I" (5 tracks) and "Demo II" (3 re-recorded tracks from "Demo I"), consist of mostly chugging mid-tempo European death metal with intense grind sections. Downlord, who are made up of prominent musicians of bands like Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Iniquity and Sacrificial, however only partly succeed to live up to their influential lineage. Vocalist Dave Ingram (Bolt Thrower, Benediction) roars his recognizable, decipherable grunt and typical lyrics, string section Rene Falther (guitar, Iniquity), Thomas Fagerlind (bass, Iniquity) and Donovan Spenceley (guitar, Sacrificial) are in fine form and technically quite accomplished musicians, but in these early demo sessions fail to capture the epic riffing that made their previous musical endeavors famous. The drum seat is occupied by Rasmus Schmidt on "Demo I" and Reno Kiilerich on "Demo II" and it's therefore no surprise that the latter sessions are technically more accomplished than the prior. Production jobs differ wildly as the sessions progress; with the first session being more raw and generally heavier, while the second session seems a bit muddier all around. Downlord are an impressive unit that only partly lives up to its lineage and potential. With a debut "Random Dictionary Of the Damned" to be released soon, we can only hope they'll write something as timeless as the classics they released while in the bands that made each of them household names in the international metal scene.
www.downlord.dk
