The Demo Review:

	There are currently 1 Reviews of this Demo. Average Rating: 2
Band Name: Shockwave Demo Title: Nihilistic Humanists Band Members: Tony James (Vocals), Adam Esse (Guitar), Dave (Guitar), Dr. Barnes (Bass), Savage (Drums). Location:Nashua, NH Email for This Artist Official Web Site for This Artist Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board

Musashi's Review:
Nothing says "fun" like a bad demo. Although technically, this is not the worst demo I have heard, it is boring enough to warrant me slamming it. There are many factors contributing to my giving Nihilistic Humanists a low grade. I considered the performances, the songwriting, the production and the presentation which all warranted sub-par scores.
The first thing I noticed was all the stuff that was in the envelope: a letter, a pamphlet, a business card, two stickers and the CD itself. Normally, I would celebrate such a professional presentation, therefore I feel the need to explain that my criticism is not of the presentation so much as the message enclosed therein. The pamphlet asks questions such as, "Have other groups let you down or left you unsatisfied?", "Are you bored of groups that sound just like everyone else?", "Do you need a change in your life?" Of course, the answer to all these questions is Shockwave. Shockwave's catchphrase is "Metal For a New Society." Apparently, this band feels that they are a panacea for all of life's problems. They most certainly are not.
The next thing I noticed was the production of the CD. The quickest way to identify a bad production is to listen to the drums. If the drums sound like John Bonham or Vinnie Paul, then you are on the right track. If the drums sound like that guy in Times Square that bangs on the plastic tubs, then you have a problem. The next thing I listen to is the vocals. If the vocals are crisp and in your face, that's good. If the vocals are muddy and the end of vocal lines trail off and are lost, then that is bad. My advice is to throw the CD out immediately.
After I identify that I am listening to a poorly produced demo, I try to listen to the individual performances. Shockwave have five members and none of them stand out as being either very good or very bad. The one thing that does stand out is that they are not tight. Being "tight" means that all the musicians are playing in time and in synchronicity with each other. Since the bass player and the drummer are not synched up, the band sounds sloppy.
Now that I have identified many of the objective problems, I can listen subjectively to the songwriting and the overall feel of the band. Shockwave make numerous claims of being metal. Although they do have some metal influences, I would place them in the hardrock and punk categories. Their metal influences seem to center around Motorhead and Guns N Roses. Song titles such as "Trendyfuckingasshole," "Homicidal Laundrymat" and "Kill a Pig For Jesus" remind me of the type of scribblings that one makes in his notebook during homeroom: the type of antisocial scriblings that keep your penis from seeing the light of the dashboard for the entirety of your high school career.
If you are angry and in high school, then you might consider listening to Shockwave. If you scored above 1000 on your SATs, then you should consider a different band for your listening pleasure.

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