Demo Title: Semper Tyranis
Band Members: Jesse Aiken - lead vocals, Ted Foster - guitar and vocals, Grant Campbell - guitar and vocals, Shane Hall - bass and vocals, Steve Austin - drums
Location: Australia
Rating: 4 Skulls
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Band Name: Aeturnus Dominion
Demo Title: Semper Tyranis Band Members: Jesse Aiken - lead vocals, Ted Foster - guitar and vocals, Grant Campbell - guitar and vocals, Shane Hall - bass and vocals, Steve Austin - drums Location: Australia Rating: 4 Skulls
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Hel's Review:
I hope the guys in Aeturnus Dominion will forgive me, but I am going to use their demo as a launching pad to air some of my more nagging pet peeves regarding demo submissions in general. I know I've given these tutorials many times in the past, but judging by the recent submissions coming into MJ, it appears to be time to do it again. I beg of everyone who is in a band to read this closely and take my advice to heart - even if I don't know what I'm talking about, you'll be better off for following these suggestions.The look of the demo Aeturnus Dominion submitted, Semper Tyranis, is very slick and good-looking, there is a huge information gap. The envelope contained just the disc in a simple case: no letter or note, no bio, nada. I know the guy who sent this in reads the site, therefore he should have known that we always include the names of the band members and where they are from - so how about including it?
EVERY band who submits a demo to anyone should always include basic information about themselves. Sure, your website may have all the info, but let me tell you, no one who receives demos has the time to go looking these things up. I cannot tell you how much it pisses me off when I have to waste my time in this fashion. This goes triple when you don't tell me what genre your music falls into. You wrote the shit, you should be able to explain what it sounds like. Letting the music "speak for itself" is a great way to get it tossed into the trash can before it makes it into a player. If you can't describe it, it is probably shit. People who send things in like this clearly have no clue exactly how many demos they are competing with, whether it is for review space, or label attention, or whatever else.
And since I'm on the subject, proofread and spell check, people! If you're not from the U.S. and you submit to a publication here, it is likely that the person reading it will think the way you misuse words and the poor grammar is kind of quaint, but there is NO excuse if you are actually from the States. You need to take as much care with putting together your package for submission as you did the music you're submitting. Your demo is your musical resume, and with it you hope to be able to make music as your full time job. It is also your interview; it needs to speak for you and explain why it should be given the time of day. People are busy and you need to convince them to spend their precious time on your project. You've spent money on the recording, the CDs, the postage, not to mention your gear and your time - so don't wimp out this close to the finish line.
Aeturnus Dominion used glossy paper and a decent printer to make their cover with full color art and even a photo of the band, with a nice label for the cd as well. This all contributed to it being chosen for today's review. I highly recommend cutting out one of your two "thank you" paragraphs to include the line up and some contact info beyond the web address. And include something else in the package next time.
A cover letter is a nicety, but useful for telling me why I should listen to it, and a perfect place to disclose what you sound like. A bio is obligatory - meaning it is both expected and necessary. It is also good to disclose your genre and influences here, in case you forget to include the cover letter. Repetition is not a bad thing in this regard. Don't make me think - it makes me angry, and you won't like me when I'm angry...
My final point, which will (at last) lead us into a discussion of the music on the at hand, is that you should not expect to have your disc listened to for more than 30 seconds. What you choose for those 30 seconds is very important - it determines how quickly you will be ejected, literally. Don't start with a sample of any kind, no matter how mood setting you think it may be. Start with the song all your friends tell you is the best one - trust me on this. You're too close to your music to be at all objective in that regard.
Aeturnus Dominion most certainly did not lead off the record with their strongest song, in my opinion. While the opening short scream is a fair Halford-esque impersonation, the clean vocal that follows is just awful. He does a very nice death growl and even a fair thrash thing (assuming it is all the same guy - it doesn't tell me) but when he tries to turn melodic, things all far apart. Don't make me hate the singer right off the bat like that, particularly when it is one of the few songs in which he does this.
However, that is my sole complaint in regard to the musicianship. The guitar solos in particular, are quite stunning, and the overall songwriting is interesting enough to hold your attention. I would classify them as death metal with strong thrash overtones. They call themselves "Aussie Bastard Metal" - which sounds clever and at least tells me where they're from, but this is exactly the kind of vague descriptor I'm telling you not to use.
For a demo, the production is quite good. Yes, I have issues with the drum sound, but the recording as a whole is not the muddled muck it easily could have been, so they get big points for that. This is also a very important factor for all demos - poor production may be the norm for demos, but that is all the more reason to avoid it. Everyone knows that in this day and age there is really no excuse for poor production, so be "troo," "kvlt," or "underground" at your own risk. Fuzz is a fast track to the circular file.
Aeturnus Dominion have turned in an impressive cd. And here we come to the crux of it all - because of this, I will be more amenable to the next thing they send in. And that, is the most important thing your demo should be expected to achieve: getting your next one listened to. You may get some positive reviews and pick up some new fans, but it generally takes several demos before a label will pick up a band, so you should always be thinking about the next one. So don't rest on your laurels, ya bastards, send in another.
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