Demo Title: Diatribe
Band Members: Aaron Smith - drums; Jose Smith - vocals; Darryl Newsham - guitar; Chris Benyk - bass/vocals
Location: Australia
Rating: 3 Skulls
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Band Name: Diatribe
Demo Title: Diatribe Band Members: Aaron Smith - drums; Jose Smith - vocals; Darryl Newsham - guitar; Chris Benyk - bass/vocals Location: Australia Rating: 3 Skulls
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Jotun's Review:
Diatribe came, then went in 2001. With a more solidified line-up, the band recorded their debut self-titled EP and proceeded to sell them out. The second pressing, a copy of which I am reviewing here, comes with an added enhanced CD portion. Usually, I'd say, 'big fucking deal,' but there are a few things that stand out to me about Diatribe.For one, the band certainly seems to have their shit together, more so than I can say for many artists releasing demos today. Perhaps that is because they are from Australia, and our friends down under can't deal with and be sold on as much wank bullshit as Americans can. But, musically, the band is tight with well-written riffs and a concrete direction that they travel throughout the disc.
The style, as far as I am concerned, is a mixture of old Pantera mixed with American alternative metal. There isn't any nu metal bullshit, but they only have a loose grip on technical prowess and gripping, genre-defining style. They truck at a decent speed though the first song "Big Deal" and through the second, where I kept thinking I was hearing them sing a chorus of 'more vagina' or 'raw vagina,' but eventually discovered that the song's name is "Morebajana." I have to say that my chorus was more fun to sing.
But they begin to lose me on "Life In Life" and "Outside My Inside;" both of which take a step in the wrong direction in terms of overall songwriting. Both the vocals and the guitar work seem to drop an experience level or two, and that - right or wrong - makes up a large portion of the impression I left with after the six songs were complete.
Bottom line is that when you're dealing with a new audience and they're hearing a demo to give them a first impression of your band, if there is something that leans toward the neutral or negative side, that's much more likely to stick with you than any mild complements - which is the most that 98 percent of demo-issuing bands will ever read of themselves. I will not completely dismiss Diatribe simply because they took part of this album in a direction that I didn't approve of. Instead, I will keep my ears open and see what their first full-length of original material will bring. But, band members make note - I said full-length of original material. Don't go and fuck this up by re-releasing part of your EP as material on your eight- to 10-song debut. And, god damn it, don't record a cover on that debut either!
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