r
gg
Aug 2017 - p.13
Verdict:
Powerful two track demo sent in by
Wolverhampton based alternative rock metal
band Wakedown. 'From Ashes' is a post
apocalyptic soundtrack in its own right; great
guitar playing and lots of futuristic samples. I
predict this band will appeal to fans of
Alterbridge as musically they share quite a few
traits but I say this quite honestly, and that's that
I prefer the voice of Wakedown's singer.
Frontman Carl Thompson puts out an
exceptional singing performance and delivers
vocals like a delivery man driving around on a
Tron motorbike. 'What Lies Beneath' is arguably
the more diverse of the two songs and opens up
with, in my opinion, what can only be described
as a Godsmack slam-dunk with its dominating
and spectacular introduction. Thompson here
ups the singing to a remarkable new level and
really shows his range. Both songs are strong.
I'd prefer to hear more recorded material to form
an accurate and concrete conclusion about what
they bring that's different to the metal table to set
them apart, but one thing is certain and that's
that Wakedown have an incredible vocalist at the
helm. Solid.
Demo:
From Ashes /
What Lies Beneath
www
wakedownofficial com
Verdict:
Stourbridge based band Effigy For
Sleep previously released a self titled EP
featuring songs with vast potential such as the
deep dove-like 'Simply Ask', time signature
friendly 'King Of The Ground' and the dynamic
melancholy mood shifter '£7 Coffee' which gave
us a small taster of their abilities, but the newly
released debut LP titled Giants Tears reveals
that they are songwriting monsters born to make
full albums. Fans of Soundgarden will embrace
this band with both ears as singer and bassist
Calvert Stephens has the Chris Cornell strut
about him but more importantly Effigy For Sleep
are technically just as formidable on record as,,
for example, anything on the Superunknown
album. Highlights are 'Big Ben On Acid' with its
chaotic chromatic climbing stop start guitar riffs
and smooth lead lines, the epic sinister sounding
but spirit lifting 'Man From Kuwait' plus the title
track 'Project Prometheus' with their layers of
grunge-like jazz chops mixed with atmospheric
catchy sing-along (whistle-along even)
choruses. This is a powerful band with heavy
riffs and perfect melody. Recommended for fans
of Biffy Clyro in need of something more harder
sounding. Terrific work.
EFFIGY FOR SLEEP
Album:
Giants Tears
www
facebook com/effigyforsleep
Continues overleaf...
WAKEDOWN
album
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