Average Rating: 5
Demo Title: Demo 2002
Band Members: Ryan - Vocals, Guitar; Kamil - Drums; [Rob - Bass (no longer in band)
Location: Boston, MA
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There are currently 1 Reviews of this Demo.
Average Rating: 5 |
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Band Name: Phantom Limb
Demo Title: Demo 2002 Band Members: Ryan - Vocals, Guitar; Kamil - Drums; [Rob - Bass (no longer in band) Location: Boston, MA |
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Hel's Review:
Have you ever put something in a particular spot because it was important, and then forgot where that spot was? These clever places are my downfall, and the number one way in which I will absolutely always lose something. Guess what I just found? Phantom Limb's 2002 Demo. Pestilence asked me to do him a favor since he knows these guys, so I did the logical thing. I put it where I'd be sure to pay attention to it, and then, well, you know the rest…I actually did listen to it right when it arrived, and it made a strong, mostly positive, impression. I clearly remembered that the production was terrible, but the rest was pretty high quality death metal. So, now that I've finally relocated this disc, after throwing it back into my player, I find that my recollections of the album are fairly accurate. The production is by far, the worst thing about this demo. Dirty, foggy - hell, pick about any negative descriptive adjective you'd like - the production is bad.
But this is a demo, and quality production is a rarity for demos, so I will not hold that against them. There are four songs included on this disc, three originals and a cover of At the Gates' "Blinded by Fear." Now, in my book, an At the Gates cover is a big plus right off the bat. For shits and giggles, I snagged my copy of Slaughter of the Soul and listened to the original version of the song again for the sake of comparison. Phantom Limb's version is true to the original and well performed.
The musicianship is the highlight of the demo. Let's just take a moment to consider that they are more than competent enough to replicate a classic At the Gates song. Their originals are, as can be predicted by the band they have chosen to cover, mostly in the vein of melodic death, though with a single guitarist instead of the customary two. Still, the technique is effective here as the guitarist is very proficient and articulates his parts extremely well. The second and third songs on the demo also incorporate a strong black metal flavor, which results in a slight identity crisis, but I have confidence that as they progress they will strike the right balance and solidify their style.
The songs themselves are interesting and well crafted, with multiple sections that tie together just as a good song should. The vocals are delivered in a deep growl and the drummer provides double bass galore. The bassist, according to their website, has since departed, and as his parts on this recording only emerge when the songs momentarily break down into a heavy groove, his loss is fairly negligible at this stage.
I do wonder how they manage to pull this off live, as the guitarist is also the vocalist, and few seem to be able to pull off complicated guitar sections of the type featured here while simultaneously growling along. However, this review is about the demo product submitted, and overall, this is a tasty morsel for blackened melodic death metal fans. Phantom Limb is certainly a band to watch out for.
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