First Requiem
Devon based First Requiem were kind enough to get in touch and send their album Mass of the Dead my way to check out. Firstly – the album cover is awesome it has to be said, lined up skulls and the obligatory Parental Advisory label. Secondly, the manager of the band is called Roger Moore – which straight away gives these guys some pretty awesome kudos in my books! Onwards to the music though…
Opening with Confess you’re immediately smashed in the face with distorted guitars and pounding drums, this is metal done well from the outset. Adopting an almost old skool thrash beat to kick into the track, soon you’ll find yourself harking back to the glory days of proper metal, these guys are on a mission to bring real music back and my word they’re doing it well! The vocals are powerful yet somehow clean, backed up by chunky guitar lines and more of those awesome rolling drum beats, there’s a lot going on in the tracks but every single element is right there to be heard and enjoyed. Chunky, slow and almost jumpy in the beat adopted, the chorus section slows things down and will get live crowds involved with the band, kicking back into circle pit territory soon though just to make sure you don’t get too long a break! Throwing a guitar solo into the mix just to make sure you’re fully convinced, this is one hell of an opening track to an album which promises good things!
Sullivans Plague comes in at number 2, opening faster than the first track but keeping those rolling drums and sludgy guitar lines right there to be considered. The vocals once again take the lead over the bassy undertones and give this track a lift, once again keeping the beat relatively simple but still managing to create a sound far beyond most bands within this genre. This track is almost catchy at times meaning you feel like you’re connected to the track from the outset, I can only imagine what this must be like when it’s played live! Rolling beats, guitar solos, soaring riffs, solid vocals, hammering bass lines, they’re all there in this track to be considered, it’s a lot to take in from a band just starting out but my god it’s good! As the track finishes and Save Yourself comes into being with some weather sound effects underpinned with a church bell and digging noises, the bass takes the lead to open proceedings. Dark, ominous and foreboding, this track moves away from the thrash style beat and moves more towards pure dark metal. Double bass beats roll into the track as the sludgy guitars take the main lead, the vocals ushered in by a roll of the bass. Clean yet gravelly vocals once again set the tone for this track, keeping the beat relatively slow once again but retaining all of the power I’ve come to expect from these guys over the course of the tracks so far. As this track progresses I found myself questioning two things: firstly how can a band just starting out achieve such an accomplished sound, it’s incredible to hear. Secondly, the reference to Trivium in their blurb, I don’t think it’s founded. Sure they might be an influence but initially I went into this expecting a similar sound, and this is way beyond anything that Trivium have produced.
Untamed kicks in next with more riffing guitars and pounding bass lines, the rolling drums still there to make sure you haven’t forgotten about them. The vocals take on a more spat approach this time, keeping a faster pace and really hammering the words home to you. Another accomplished track, this track drew similarities to the Nirvana track School – which might sound odd at first, but listen to the broken down sections which lead up to ‘fucking untamed’, there’s a real sort of funky almost grungy edge to the way the track goes there which is awesome to hear. Breaking down to raw elements and accentuating every single instrument before kicking into a riffy section of fast paced vocals, climaxing in a massive ‘fuck you’ – this is angry music and do you know what, it feels good!
Final track The Cure ends the album in style, fading into some soft guitar lines accompanied by some more weather sound effects, the tone is once again set dark and foreboding. The vocals kick into an almost Alice In Chains style, layering them at different keys to one another to add further depth to them, backing everything up with synth effects which are sure to get the shivers moving up and down your spine. Chucking in a lead Spanish guitar line to introduce the most almightily chunky riff, the track soon resumes it’s dark and heavy journey. Hammering through at an insane pace, guitar solos rage whilst the bass and guitars continue to hammer out insane riffs, all the time the drums rolling around like a mad man, it’s insane but it works so so well! Finishing off, I found myself immediately reaching for the play button once again to go back to relive every single second.
As I said during the above, when I saw Trivium noted on the write up I was expecting something different from First Requiem, and to be honest they’ve pleasantly surprised me. Sure, I saw Trivium back in 05 when they were still shouty and still riding the success of their first album, but after that they lost me, they went all ‘we love Metallica’ too much! The sound they play is nothing like the sound First Requiem play, because these guys play a sound which is unique to them. Sure there’s a thrash basis here but it goes beyond that and lifts everything to a new level. The album is genuinely one which I will play again and again, it’s still going now on the CD player for the 6th time today and I can’t imagine it leaving anytime soon. I sincerely wish these guys the best as I’m sure, if they get noticed by the right people, they’re going to some pretty serious places. They’re launching this album on the 18th of November in Okehampton and I for one will be there to see it – my advice – get there.
To find out more about First Requiem, check out their facebook page HERE.
Opening with Confess you’re immediately smashed in the face with distorted guitars and pounding drums, this is metal done well from the outset. Adopting an almost old skool thrash beat to kick into the track, soon you’ll find yourself harking back to the glory days of proper metal, these guys are on a mission to bring real music back and my word they’re doing it well! The vocals are powerful yet somehow clean, backed up by chunky guitar lines and more of those awesome rolling drum beats, there’s a lot going on in the tracks but every single element is right there to be heard and enjoyed. Chunky, slow and almost jumpy in the beat adopted, the chorus section slows things down and will get live crowds involved with the band, kicking back into circle pit territory soon though just to make sure you don’t get too long a break! Throwing a guitar solo into the mix just to make sure you’re fully convinced, this is one hell of an opening track to an album which promises good things!
Sullivans Plague comes in at number 2, opening faster than the first track but keeping those rolling drums and sludgy guitar lines right there to be considered. The vocals once again take the lead over the bassy undertones and give this track a lift, once again keeping the beat relatively simple but still managing to create a sound far beyond most bands within this genre. This track is almost catchy at times meaning you feel like you’re connected to the track from the outset, I can only imagine what this must be like when it’s played live! Rolling beats, guitar solos, soaring riffs, solid vocals, hammering bass lines, they’re all there in this track to be considered, it’s a lot to take in from a band just starting out but my god it’s good! As the track finishes and Save Yourself comes into being with some weather sound effects underpinned with a church bell and digging noises, the bass takes the lead to open proceedings. Dark, ominous and foreboding, this track moves away from the thrash style beat and moves more towards pure dark metal. Double bass beats roll into the track as the sludgy guitars take the main lead, the vocals ushered in by a roll of the bass. Clean yet gravelly vocals once again set the tone for this track, keeping the beat relatively slow once again but retaining all of the power I’ve come to expect from these guys over the course of the tracks so far. As this track progresses I found myself questioning two things: firstly how can a band just starting out achieve such an accomplished sound, it’s incredible to hear. Secondly, the reference to Trivium in their blurb, I don’t think it’s founded. Sure they might be an influence but initially I went into this expecting a similar sound, and this is way beyond anything that Trivium have produced.
Untamed kicks in next with more riffing guitars and pounding bass lines, the rolling drums still there to make sure you haven’t forgotten about them. The vocals take on a more spat approach this time, keeping a faster pace and really hammering the words home to you. Another accomplished track, this track drew similarities to the Nirvana track School – which might sound odd at first, but listen to the broken down sections which lead up to ‘fucking untamed’, there’s a real sort of funky almost grungy edge to the way the track goes there which is awesome to hear. Breaking down to raw elements and accentuating every single instrument before kicking into a riffy section of fast paced vocals, climaxing in a massive ‘fuck you’ – this is angry music and do you know what, it feels good!
Final track The Cure ends the album in style, fading into some soft guitar lines accompanied by some more weather sound effects, the tone is once again set dark and foreboding. The vocals kick into an almost Alice In Chains style, layering them at different keys to one another to add further depth to them, backing everything up with synth effects which are sure to get the shivers moving up and down your spine. Chucking in a lead Spanish guitar line to introduce the most almightily chunky riff, the track soon resumes it’s dark and heavy journey. Hammering through at an insane pace, guitar solos rage whilst the bass and guitars continue to hammer out insane riffs, all the time the drums rolling around like a mad man, it’s insane but it works so so well! Finishing off, I found myself immediately reaching for the play button once again to go back to relive every single second.
As I said during the above, when I saw Trivium noted on the write up I was expecting something different from First Requiem, and to be honest they’ve pleasantly surprised me. Sure, I saw Trivium back in 05 when they were still shouty and still riding the success of their first album, but after that they lost me, they went all ‘we love Metallica’ too much! The sound they play is nothing like the sound First Requiem play, because these guys play a sound which is unique to them. Sure there’s a thrash basis here but it goes beyond that and lifts everything to a new level. The album is genuinely one which I will play again and again, it’s still going now on the CD player for the 6th time today and I can’t imagine it leaving anytime soon. I sincerely wish these guys the best as I’m sure, if they get noticed by the right people, they’re going to some pretty serious places. They’re launching this album on the 18th of November in Okehampton and I for one will be there to see it – my advice – get there.
To find out more about First Requiem, check out their facebook page HERE.