The Demo Review:

	There are currently 1 Reviews of this Demo. Average Rating: 4
Band Name: Time Of Need Demo Title: Seen Through A Shadow Band Members: Kevin Heaps (Vocals & Guitar), Chad Pitcher (Bass), Angela Heaps (Drums). Location:Center Valley, PA Email for This Artist Official Web Site for This Artist Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board

Musashi's Review:
Let me start off this review on a positive note. Time Of Need's CD, Seen Through A Shadow, looks awesome. The cover art is beautiful, the website is excellent and the CD is produced extremely well. According to their bio, "Travis Smith (Skinlab, Overkill) created the engaging, eye-catching images for the album. Erik Kvortek (Trax East Studios) produced and mixed the album with ears of perfection and Jeff Lager (The Sound Lab) mastered the album." Their press kit promised an album so insane, so brutal and so heavy that the listener is advised to have paramedics standing by. Yes, the guitars are tuned low. Yes, the songs are melodic. Yes, it is aggressive. No, it's not Hanson... it's Nu-Metal.
After surfing their website for a few minutes, I decided this band has their shit together. They seem to have funds. They seem to be professional. They are on the right track.
How about the music? It is good. Honestly, I am sick of Nu-Metal, but this is good for that type of stuff. It sounds almost like the real thing. What? Well, I can't help but be critical. That's my nature.
It did not take me long to realize that the female member of the band was not on bass, but rather behind the kit. There's something you don't see every day. So I cranked this CD up to hear how Angela beats the skins. I am unimpressed. Let me rephrase that: although I am unimpressed with the ability of the drummer, I am very impressed by the wonderful job that was done in the studio to mask the fact that the drummer is mediocre.
First of all, the drums are mixed really low. That's a clear sign that the drum parts are flawed. With this type of music, the drums should be LOUD. You should feel the kick drum in your chest and the snare should make you wince. Despite mixing the drums low in the mix, the CD sounds very heavy. I am still trying to figure out how they got such a thick sound without a lot of drums. The bass, guitar and vocals really carry this album.
I have worked in studios and seen a lot of crazy things go on to try to save a track. Triggering, looping, sampling, cutting, pasting and all types of computer chicanery go on behind the scenes to polish the turds that are left by bands on tape. Nobody admits to it, but it happens ALL the time. Sometimes the musician doesn't even know that his tracks are being put through the blender. I am not saying it happened here. All I am saying is that the drums are mixed low... really low. When you listen to this CD, it is very enjoyable. When you listen closely to this CD it is a different experience. Where did the drum fills go? Why can't I hear the sixteenth notes? Why does it sound like a different drum set at different points in the same song?
Regardless, this is an excellent demo: smooth, polished and shiny like a Brazilian bikini wax or a major label release. I find myself getting tired of the Nu-Metal sound and I smell a cover up, therefore, I am only going to give Time Of Need four skulls. However, I do highly recommend that everybody looking for hints on how to look and sound more professional should listen to Time Of Need.

[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©2001 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.