Kudos to our host Max for sending me the latest and greatest in demos hitting the Bandcamp circuit. Up on the docket for this issue of Dave’s Demo Roundup we have releases from Necrot, Lawless, and Cold Fell.
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| Cover by Lukas Krieg |
As good as the Bay Area scene is these days, it’s not really one known for OSDM (with the notable exceptions of Acephalix and Vastum). That’s about to change as Necrot tear through a raw as Hell three-song demo (well, it’s an EP) in The Abyss. The Abyss as a title is apt; beefy OSDM with a wicked guitar tone and a crushing bass and percussion steamrolls over you in about 12 minutes. A deep seated production that’s crystal clear aids the cause, and the guitars also have a very subtle degree of technicality to them whilst buried amidst gigantic riffs. Atmosphere is further enhanced by gruff vocals.
Speaking of Acephalix and Vastum, it will probably come as no surprise that there’s a fair amount of cross pollination going on between those bands and Necrot with shared members.
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| Artwork by Kyle House |
Speaking of cross pollination, guess what? Yet another band with member connections to Acephalix, Vastum, and Necrot appears in the form of Lawless, a Bay Area OSDM act that is rapidly causing me to rescind my earlier statement.. Like Necrot, Lawless law down the law with a three-song demo of extremely chunky, bass heavy OSDM with a mid-paced gallop and the proverbial two-ton weight utilized as a production value. A bit slower and slightly less raw than Necrot, Lawless provide a nice finish to a one two punch of releases from the Bay Area. Unfortunately, Lawless have apparently disbanded, but I suspect that we've not heard the last from the circle of musicians connected to these bands.
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Switching gears, the U.K.’s Cold Fell play scathing, ice cold black metal with lots of tremelo-picked guitars, subtle hints of melody, blastbeats, and hoary rasps. Obviously influenced by the Second Wave of Norwegian Black Metal, Cold Fell would fit right in with early Gorgoroth and, perhaps, Burzum, as their two-song demo does take on an air of the majestic. A more modern production differentiates Cold Fell somewhat from the bands of the era, but the subtle hints of melody go a long way towards making Cold Fell a pleasing listen.