Cheers Kiichi!
Weirdly enough, we've spoken about Germany and are going to wait until our name is about a little more, but we really want to head there (apparently you guys are the best audience fo British metal acts!). If you like those elements, you'll probably prefer our track "Dead Man's Waltz", which you should be able to check out here :D
http://heavenasunder.bandcamp.com/album/dead-mans-waltz-ep
Ahhh yes, that is much more to my licking.
Seems to have more of an unique identity than the other track. Not to say that it was generic, but I find it hard to find metal core that truely sets itself appart, which is probably mostly personal taste (I like prog ;).
Now in Dead Mens Walz I find interresting melodies and harmonies. Same as in the other song, but more present. The singer can show off a lot more of his skill. You as a guitarist can show more too imho, as you can show versatility. Generally there is a broader bandwith of emotion.
What I really like is the much greater dynamic range in this song. From the soft acoustic spots with the female singer, to really hard screamed stuff.
What this does for me is give the screamed parts a lot more gravitas.
If you got an album with 120bpm minimum, full distorted powerchords and screaming throughout it just looses its ooompf.
In this track it all just hits harder cause you got a point of comparison that is stronger than in the other track.
My main point of critique is that the transitions between some of the parts could be a bit more organic.
Intrumental whise I can say that the playing is great and when you loose some of the standard metal phrases there are a lot of interresting ideas in there (some on the first track, more on dead mens).
Disclaimer:I just feel like doing something now (I sometimes do after a beer), so beware the wall of text. I am not a proffesional and this is my subjective view, from my experience which is meant as an inside and constructive critisism. I am not trying to say change this and that to become succesful, I am just trying to lend my perspective and my taste. I try to keep this as honest as I can and please donīt take this in any way but a well meant one.
Keep in mind that I have heard two tracks by you now, so the stuff I say about you directly has a lot less weight than my general observations.
I only wanne provide my honest opinion and observations.I spend a small portion of my work listening to demo tapes of bands that are interrested in playing at my workplace.
Counting out factors like the current state of the live music scene and genre taste there is one thing that you notice setting good bands apart from ok bands: The singer.
A lot of bands do musically sound stuff, lot of decent and good guitarists out there for example (less of them actually inspired and unique, but that is a different subject). Sometimes you even find really good people like what I heard from you (I hear a certain inspiration there). But over 90% of them lack a technically sound, inspired singer with a voice that has character and is used accordingly.
They often sound very much alike, you notice they are just imitating famous guys, etc.
Alone finding someone with a good scream is hard. Lot of people can scream, but most of them sound bad or alike.
To find a quality scream is hard enough, to find one that is different, has character is harder. I can only think of a few people who have memorable scream-styles to me: Rob Flynn, Max Cavalera, Corey Taylor, Anders Friden,...
These in my ear are very recognizable, they are unique.
Your singer is a good screamer (would have to see him live to really judge), but has not found a unique way yet or does not have the voice for it. Judging from his singing voice the first of the two.
What he does seem to have is a certain character in his regular singing voice. Finding true character here is a bit easier than in screaming, but it is even harder to perfect, as you can show a much broader range of tones and emotions in regular singing. I feel your singer really shows promise here.
Short: Imho he should focus more on regular singing (from soft to agressive) and add screaming as an extension of the range, not as the main focus, for some time. From there the screams can be developed further.
For example sit him down with an acoustic and let him sing, explore his voice. The more a singer understands his singing voice the more he understands his screaming voice. how to get emotions in to it and generally more of the detail one puts into the voice.
However, in the end it comes down to if he, and you, his bandmates, are comfortable with that and therefore can put in the required emotion.
Cause in the end, whatever you do, you gotta stand behind it. You gotta feel it. You gotta live it.
Since I have not seen you live I can not judge if you feel the music you are currently doing and even then I can only do that to a certain extend.
What you need to do is explore every path (I am sure you already walked most of them) and then at the end of the day honestly answer to yourself. Did you play your heart out?
I believe whatever the music is you do, be it pop, rock, electro, metal, acoustic folk or anything else, be it innovative or done before, what it comes down to is if your heart is in it, if you play with all you got.
I have seen just about everything in the spectrum and you just know it when it happens. Whether I like the music from a techniqual perspective (chords progressions, scales etc, also musical taste in regards to this) becomes irrelevant if a certain level of heart is involved, especially in a live setting.
Intrumental whise I can say that the playing is great and when you loose some of the standard metal phrases there are a lot of interresting ideas in there (some on the first track, more on dead mens).
Anyway, sorry for the rambling, all the mistakes, etc. Needed to get that out of my system and you were the victim.
Also anyway, when you are in the planning the stages for a Germany tour, PM me, would really like to talk to you then if it is some time in the coming months! That is hoping I do not seem like too much of douchbag, asshole or anything like that after that essay...^^
