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MIDWEST RUMBLINGSRegional Demo Reviews from Bubbling Under Artists
by Corine Jurgerson
Finally! We’re back! It’s been a few months since the last Midwest Rumblings column appeared – and we here at the Midwest Beat appreciate your patience.
As many of you know, previous columnist Rachel Komar departed from our staff due to landing a gig at Atlantic Records and we wish her the best of luck!
It took a while to reorganize, but I’m happy to report that I’ll now be taking over this monthly column. Keep sending those demos… and if you want to bribe me to see your name in print, I like flowers of all kinds and lots of diamond jewelry. (Just kidding...of course...or am I?)
In all seriousness, I am overwhelmed by the talented musicians that encompass “The Region”. I do have to express my disappointment in one thing that keeps popping up in both regional and national acts, and that’s the steady trend of the growling and screaming vocals.
To me, vocals like this are not original or complimentary to the music. Bands that adopt a unique, appealing sound and style tend to succeed far beyond those that choose to simply emulate what’s been done.
To be honest, it’s discouraging when almost all of the demos in the pile sound like one another. Sadly that is very much the case lately. That said, keep in mind that my reviews are only an opinion. I try my best to provide unbiased, truthful summaries. I look forward to hearing more of the rockin’ sounds of the region in the months to come!
RATINGS SCALE: 1-5 Stars…with 5 being the highest!
Here’s a sample of what was delivered to me this month!
Artist: FIGURE H8
The first disc to pop up in my box was a three song demo by the band Figure H8. While the recording itself had decent production value, I failed to really make a connection with the band. The overall sound is heavy to begin with, but the screaming and growling just really push the sound over the edge – but not in a good way. The band plays really well together – I just can’t buy into the vocals.
RATING: 1 1/2 Stars
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Artist: ELICIT
Elicit is a promising regional band that is actually signed with L.A.’s Jetspeed Records. Their sound is pretty much just straight ahead rock. The lyrics are decent, they’ve got some catchy hooks and fantastic drum and guitar combinations and even some melodies with elements of swing tied in. They’re definitely worth checking out.
RATING: 3 Stars
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Artist: ODE TO FALL
Ode To Fall’s demo was another example of a band that is awesome instrumentally but hurt by the harsh screaming vocals. Yes, I realize that they are a metal band, but it feels so overdone. Drums - great. Guitars – also great. On a very positive note, the recording of this disc is fantastic. Consider toning down the screaming, and I think you’re really onto something. I look forward to hearing your progression when you record your next album.
RATING: 2 Stars
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Artist: NERVE DAMAGE
I think this month was ‘metal’ month! Nerve Damage is another promising band from the metal genre. Again, they’re instrumentally solid, but bogged down a bit by the screaming. The vocals are awesome when the screaming is dropped – some of the profanity in the lyrics are a bit of a turnoff, but overall the band has a pretty decent sound.
RATING: 3 Stars
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“MIDWEST RUMBLINGS” c/o Midwest BEAT P.O. Box 9069 • Highland, IN 46322 |
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