DEMO/EP ROUNDUP - Temptress and The Night Eternal
Follow the Mighty Decibel as they delve further into the underground EP/demo/single/mini-album abyss ...
First up is TEMPTRESS, a newly formed band that kicks some serious ass on their debut self-titled EP (Bandcamp). Made up of three ladies and one lone (but likely not lonely!) fella (who pulls down the bass duties), here we have an exercise in turn-it-up-'til-your-ears-bleed thundering party excess. A little bit of Motorhead here, some Girlschool and Montrose there, topped off with a pinch of doom and a cavalier punk rock attitude and wink, the Dallas, Texas unit have come up with a wildly entertaining concoction. I just keep hitting repeat over and over again once the three-track, 13-minute release concludes. One of the best EPs of the year. Fun. [8.5]
Up next we have German unit THE NIGHT ETERNAL with their self-titled debut (Dying Victims). At the core here is traditional metal, but they incorporate a sense of the epic and melancholic here, as well. Vocalist Ricardo bellows convincingly in a John Bush-style roar, which, when combined with the music, begs Armored Saint comparisons. Nothing wrong with that, especially when it's done with this level of professionalism and verve. If you like some melody and emotion in your trad metal, this will definitely be up your alley. Appropriately includes a cover of Priest's '(Take These) Chains'. [7]