"EVIL SPIRIT"
2013
SELF-RELEASED
Well, I definitely got myself a weird one. If you like your Doom raw, standing on the fence between Rock and Metal, with mild elements of early Skepticism and Warning, then this demo by Heirs of the Void might be right up your alley. I can't even tell if I really like it all the way through, but it's intriguing enough with it's cornucopia of elements to make me sit and listen without much wavering. You've got some feedback-laden atmosphere here, some really melancholic funeral leads there and a vocalist who refused to choose between the Black and Gothic Metal blueprints, yet does both with such conviction that it's hard to complain. The tones used with the guitar throughout most of the 4 tracks present here are actually some of the best that I've heard coming out of a demo in quite some time. The vocalist actually has a really good voice (And that is not something I normally praise in my Doom reviews) and it's surprising to see it on both sides of the coin he's flipping. The Black-ish growls are menacing and powerful, while the clean vocals are higher ranged and strong while still avoiding the annoying paramaters (to me) of being in the falsetto range. The only real problem I have with the demo is the evident use of a drum machine and the simple patterns programmed along with it, which just do not work well with the rest of the music most of the time. The bass, as well, is often indistinguishable, but with the raw production of the demo it's somewhat forgiveable.
Overall, the demo is a fairly lackluster affair with spots of brilliance sprinkled here and there, but regular enough to make this something worth listening to on a regular basis. All the same, this is still a stronger start than I've seen from a lot of bands who went on to make solid records down the road. So if they can stick with it and build on what they've got, then I have no doubt that they will do fine for themselves in the scene. If it were me, I wouldn't change much in the vocal department; just some more experimentions with the guitarwork, the bass up a little bit in the mix, a real drummer who has a decent idea of what he's doing, and maybe if the bnad could consider some light keyboard work, this could turn into something truly worthwhile. They've got some of the right ingredients, so get to work and bake a delicious cake for the Doom world to devour! I, for one, will be keeping an eye on Heirs of the Void as their journey unfolds.
5.5/10
