Chaoswave
Self Titled Demo
8.5
Do you ever get that tingling sensation down in your nether regions? You know, the same one that eventually evolves into a wet spot in your underwear? Well I’m not a smoker, but Chaoswave’s debut promotional demo certainly demands a post-orgasmic cigarette. So smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em, and don’t forget to bring a towel – this could get messy.
Right out of the starting gate I can pretty much guarantee that Chaoswave are doomed to be plagued with the Lacuna Coil ‘clone’ tag by narrow-minded idiots with an even narrower scope of musical comprehension. The irrelevant fact that a male/female vocal approach is implemented, and that the band is based in Italy, won’t much help in their favor either. Lets just forget about these characteristics for the moment and get down to what really makes this quintet such a valuable find. While Lacuna Coil is indeed an awesome band, I sincerely doubt we will ever hear the kind of punishingly technical music that Chaoswave perform pouring from our speakers whilst their CD spins.
Largely guitar driven and riff dominant, the four tracks that are presented on this first-rate demo EP seethe with those tangible trademark attributes spawned by the band’s obvious influences. Equip with the precise polyrhythmic phrasing of Meshuggah, the systematic single-string strumming of Fear Factory, and the meticulous thrash ‘n’ groove mentality of Nevermore, guitarist Henrik Rangstrup possesses an inexhaustible repertoire of ideas and techniques. Though the fretwork is the highlight of this EP, it’s not to be assumed that the rest of the band is lacking in technical prowess. Henrik’s playing is accompanied by bulky basslines and equally complex drumming courtesy of Marco Angioni and Raphael Saini, respectively.
…And now to appease the nitwit caste of readers that still have Lacuna Coil on the brain, I will touch briefly on the vocal performances of Chaoswave. Could they be compared to that of Lacuna Coil? Sure, at times they hold a slight resemblance to them, however, Fabio Carta has a much stronger and versatile voice than that of Andrea Ferro, while Giorgia Fadda doesn’t quite measure up to Cristina Scabbia. Do they sound similar enough to earn the clone status? No! The most noticeable difference here is that neither Fabio nor Giorgia rub elbows with the other, whereas in Lacuna Coil, Scabbia seems to be in the spotlight more often than Ferro. The vocals in Chaoswave are divided equally between the two singers in each song.
In other related news, with this very same promo EP, Chaoswave have found themselves a home in DVS Records. Though they are a relatively young band on the scene, they seem to be making quite an impression on the metal community. This is only the beginning of a bright future for the group and they deserve every ounce of attention they can harvest. Be on the lookout for their first full-length effort sometime in November. If this EP is any indication of what can be expected, we will have a Top Ten worthy album on our hands.
