Review of Cathis Ord - Demo

This is the type of material a reviewer hopes to fall into when blindly signing up for a demo: two cleanly produced, lengthy tunes that show a great knack for catchy songwriting. And the fact that the end product is a result of just one dude makes things even more intriguing. But fret not, ye persnickety-eared metal fans, this is a far, far cry from the prehistoric, tin can one-man black metal projects you're used to hearing about. There's nothing overly grim or corpsepainted about the UK's Cathis Ord; this is more of a journey down a Swanö-esque path, to pull a quick comparison from thin air. The root here is undoubtedly a progressive form of death metal, with leanings towards early Opeth due in large part to the sheer amount of acoustics flittering about, and JR's distinct semblance to Akerfeldt when he rasps in a more blackened manner.

So yes, this is far from treading new terrain, stylistically, but the formula's done with an acute skill and sentiment that still results in quite the rewarding listen. Both cuts clock in at approximately 11-minutes, with the first, "Lost Empire," focusing more on metal riffing as compared to the overall mellow drift of "As Winter Lays its Siege." And while JR truly proves himself to be more than capable enough to handle all the wares at hand (including some light, but fitting use of programmed strings), he really shines with his handy use of the guitar. Both tunes feature extensive use of elegant noodling that helps to add an overall epic feel to the demo, and his skill with an acoustic leads one to believe he's likely been tinkering with the instrument directly from his dear mother's womb.

Hopefully I've done enough to peak progressive death metallers' interest, because I definitely feel this guy's got the talent to take him much further into the game. And as if there needs to be any further icing on the cake, you can download the release for free, or pick up a hard copy of the cd for a very reasonable price through the Cathis Ord Myspace page.

Impressive and certainly one to keep your eye on.

Release Details

Cathis Ord

Demo

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