Tacklist:
1. The Devil’s Water
2. Sins of a Life Past
3. All In
4. Red Eyes
5. Vatican Skies
Release Date: 15 April 2012 – Digital Media Records
Brandnew band from California….Fates Demise. Ok..if we talk about „brandnew“ we have to say that the band was founded back in 2008. But with several problems in finding their actual line up it took four years to bring out the first release. And this release is a 5 track EP that is called „Sins of the Life past“. The pomos tell about heavy, thrashy and melodic stuff that will conquer the sunny state soon. We will see if this can happen….
And it starts really powerful with „The Devil’s Water“. Fast and furious guitar parts thrashes upon us with hard and aggressive shouts near to death metal grunts. In the refrain the vocals change to clean sound and so the music can be described as influenced by bands like Soilwork, Mercenary and similar bands. Fine technical knowledge of John Blair and Dana Roselli on guitars round up a speedy opening supper that will taste to all fans of the above named bands. Only the drums, for my opinion, sound too clinic. More punch could create more power.
The title track next…“Sins of a Life past“…kicks in the same style. Midtempo shredding and Joe Pfeifer’s shouts build the main base. This time a longer clean refrain as in the opener makes it more melodic….but…only in the refrain. Hardness and brutality are the essence….the melodic refrain the opponent. Fates Demise are not burning the meal…with their sound they dive in safe waters. That means….this is nothing new but a good new alternative for fans of melodic death/thrash bands that cannot get enough from their favourites.
„All in“ start a little slower with a strong guitar hookline. Combined with higher clean vocals and several guitar harmonies this song is less brutal then the others. Sure…some death shouts here and there keeps it hard enough, so don’t worry. But all in all the most melodic song so far.
Cool guitar part in the beginning of „Red Eyes“. More speedful again. Means, we are back on track.
Pfeifer shouts his lung out. Pure hate. After the refrain (clean sung, yes) great guitar arrangements including solo break the high speed a little with a short slow fadeout.
Full power at last with „Vatican Skies“. Dark, evil and fearful…the heaviest song in the end. The band knows excellent to change the tempo. So the songs are never let you get bored. Uncompromising hits direct in the face. But suddenly this song and so the EP ends. I was a little surprised bout that ,cause here the band for me interrupted the song to fast.
Anyway….Fates Demise is not a band that creates new sounds. They play in the same line like well known artists like Soilwork and Mercenery. But lot of people think that this reference bands left their highest level with their last albums….and so this EP can be the start for Fates Demise to kick those from their Modern-Melodic-Death-Metal throne.
The technical knowledge is present all the time, the clean vocals are too thin sometimes. And the drums need more punch. So there is still air to improve their style.
But as an debut release there are not a lot things to criticize.
Points: 7,5 / 10
Review by Kerbinator