Despite only forming in late 2004, Sydney Metal/Hard Rock quartet Damarill are quite the productive outfit, releasing this, their second EP and spending a considerable amount of time on the road to boot. While obviously indebted to a range of influences and at times struggling with somewhat unfocused songwriting, Damarill are worthy of attention and are on their way to discovering their own sound.
'Heart. Hands. Mind', their self-financed five track EP, sees Damarill bringing together a few distinctive styles, usually within the course of a solitary song. The opening title track is a strong indication of their sound, despite some predictable moments and a few questionable lyrics. It combines Nu Metal-influenced riffing, infectious grooves, meandering passages that recall Tool or Deftones and slick vocal lines with Thrashy trimmings, especially evident in the rhythms and solos. There's also a few Grungy riffs in amongst it all, which tend to just blend in rather than be truly memorable unfortunately. This could potentially be an awful proposition, and I've heard bands make an absolute mess of this type of thing before (Bleed The Sky anyone?), but these guys have songwriting ability, even if it's still developing. What is most encouraging is that Damarill showcase that they can craft songs with memorable choruses and are chock full of melody, but also possess interesting little nuances that stand up well after repeated listens. The neat time signature changes and harmonies during the seven minute 'Electric Sun" are just one example.
"Reflections Of A Man" and "Mass Confusion" bring out the band's more Metal leanings, especially the Swedish-influenced riff and driving rhythms of the latter and the former's sharp riffing. "Hands In The Fire" also possesses a real groove-Thrash feel in spots that recalls Lamb Of God or Chimaira and will appeal to that audience. The fleeting spurts of solid lead work are promising as well: it would be nice to see the guys perhaps look to expand upon this element of their sound. The layered vocals move from soaring, if a little indistinguishable clean vocal sections ala The Butterfly Effect to growls and screams that lack a bit of refinement but do have a degree of punch and enthusiasm. The production is also more than adequate for an unsigned band.
I do have one fairly significant criticism however. The band pull off the various styles reasonably well despite a few more bland passages or typical shifts in dynamics, but at times they seem confused as to which direction to adopt and what elements to leave behind. It's like when my old cricket coach used to say, "The idea was good, but the execution was a little off at times": their blending of Hard Rock/Nu Metal and Thrash doesn't always sound completely natural, as if they're a little uncertain about their direction, despite the best intentions. That said, I don't want to end this review on a negative note, and it is important to point out that these guys are capable of delivering a worthy full-length in the near future. There is considerable promise here.
- Spiritech
(See reviewer's scoring method)
