Better Left Unsaid
The Silencing
8.5
Synopsis:
Most of you are going to hate this demo of American Metal that seems to take all the good parts of As I Lay Dying, Shadows Fall, Antagonist and All That Remains into one solid little self released seven track demo that should warrant a record deal. However, I’m rather enjoying it.
Review:
Self released CD’s and demo's can be so hit and miss here at Metal Review, but without scouring the unsigned acts we’d get no The Fifth Sun, The Pax Cecilia, Martriden, The Living Fields or Better Left Unsaid.
Though plying a rather maligned and saturated genre, BLU just have ‘it’. Aside from the the production on this demo, which is just spot on and as good as anything released on a label, the band is tight in their delivery and the songs themselves just work on all levels. Thrashy, chuggy riffs laced with the occasional melodic Gothenburg licks and hardcore stomp, stern shouts and screams, lots of solos, a few well placed clean croons (where the As I Lay Dying comparison comes to fruition). It all comes together for seven enjoyable songs that I’ve revisited several times, despite the plethora of ‘bigger’ acts on my review plate.
On a seven-track demo, you have to make every song count and BLU do with building opener “Never Again” which opens up into a solid Shadows Fall styled track with an unconventional yet decent chorus. The other standouts are stern, more hardcore based “Repletion”, the urgent “Under My Skin”, the sweep filled “Sweets” and the all too short “Impurity” with its nifty melodic licks.
Some may confuse BLU as a Christian band with some religious undertones in their lyrics (i.e. “Testify”), but the band informed me they are not. They are just not negativity filled. Either way, this is a damn solid, self released effort that is worth your time if you enjoy any of the bands above.
I hope some of you indie labels are reading this.
