Adam from Idle Theory handed this CD, a demo featuring 2 solid tracks when I was at the Live@The Rolling Rock gig that they headlined. Watching these guys live, I get a full Pantera-ish thrash vibe happening, so that was what I was expecting when I put this CD into my Mac and cranked up iTunes.

The first track, Chamber of a Gun kicks straight into it. However, gone are the Pantera-ish comparisons, as these guys busted out a brutal thrashy riff that wouldn’t go astray on a Mourning Tide set.

The drums are pretty damn bombastic, with the kick drum nice and full, but wasn’t too keen on the amount of reverb put on the snare, as it made the drums sound like they were playing in a tunnel. Despite this, they still kick the shit out of you and sound nice and tight.

Being a bassist, I’m always keen to hear what tones come out, and would have liked to have heard a bit more bass in the mix, but that said, this type of music normally calls for the bass to fall in line and keep everything tight, to just sit in the background.

It was no surprise that the guitars come out with some blistering riffs that melt faces, and there are some really abrasive riffs that come out and get your head nodding. The dual solos are pretty much a trademark of this genre, and they had it nailed to a T.

Adam (vocalist) has got the guttural vocals happening, switching from a Phil from Pantera sound, to more of a Tyrone from Mourning Tide vibe. It really fits in with the grinding dirty metal tones nicely.

I’ve seen these guys live, and now listening to the CD, though good, doesn’t quite capture the essence of their live show. They are heavy hitters, and it’s no surprise that they get the slots that they do.

My advice, go see these guys live first, then hit them up for a copy of the demo, or wait for their EP.

Rooster.