Branch Davidian

Pisces- 2015

Nick Matthews – Drums
Rick Brophy – Bass
Dan Lozzi – Vocals
Henry Mitchell – Guitar
Nick Cabral – Guitar

1. Skywalker will join us or die

This is an introductory track that is of course a few sound clips from the Star Wars movies, while some may be confused with the track, it is a great example of what is yet to come.

2. Nightcrawler

A guitar tone rings out while news anchors read headlines about bullied kids and the end result of a suicide, as the news headlines continue they end with a sound clip from “Full Metal Jacket, in which Cowboy tells  Private Pyle “Remember it’s just a bad dream fat boy” while Vincent D’onofrio’s character (Pyle cries out in pain) The song begins with a bass line and guitars, as the drums come in with a pattern on the closed hi hat cymbal. The song is a slow but has a groove that you can feel will build as it continues along. When the full force of the band joins in we begin to notice that the members are clearly people who have been in the hardcore and metal scene for a number of years. They have the sound clip as the intro, the punchy rhythm with a groove that even with the tempo being a bit of a slower pace you can really get the bodies in motion. Then the pace picks right up, and the vocals are straight up metal with a haunting delivery.

3. Rejoice…For a Childs Haunted Room

The band wastes no time getting right in to things with this song. IT is right out of the gates hitting you with vocals, and a mid-paced groove with simple yet interesting guitar riffs, that still give me that hardcore vibe. These guys are doing a hardcore/ death metal hybrid utilizing the old school hardcore style, and some different styles of metal to blend in. The vocals are very similar to a black metal sound and also remind me of The Year of Our Lord or Arsis. Right at the 1:42 mark the song takes on a groove that is sure to get bodies moving. I can easily see a crowd getting rowdy during this song. The song ends with more news related sound clips, which you just don’t see much of anymore and I love it. But the real curve ball is when we hear “Summer breeze” by Seals and Crofts on a record player by the sounds of it. It is apparent that this band has a solid sense of humor.

4. We May Never Pass This Way Again

For the first minute the song has a repeating rhythm with a vocal growl every few bars. When the song kicks into high gear, the tempo goes from this slow sludgy feel to a fast paced high energy song with the skank blasts on the drums. Someone is doing some backing vocals that are clean vocals. The song changes tempo a few times, but sticks to the same formula of heavy aggressive, grimy, and hardcore/ metal. Then the song ends with a sound clip regarding surveillance.

5. Fairies Wear Ski Masks

This track starts out heavily influenced by hardcore, the rhythm, and the vocals for the first 10 seconds, then right into those metal guttural vocals, but keeps the hardcore rhythm. Just a high energy, driving riff, and solid backbone drums. The song is less than two minutes long and maintains that hardcore “Fuck you” vibe the entire time. It’s almost too short of a song, and the vocals are so out of character for that rhythm it’s interesting.

6. Senate

This song is already hitting you with the vocals, however the tempo is a bit slower than the previous track. It’s not slow, right around 85 BPM with a solid groove. The sound clips begin at 1:45 and it has a sound clip of a song playing faintly and also slowed down just a tick by the sound of it.

7. Pisces

This is just a lonesome guitar chord ringing out and then sound clips playing over top of it, news clips talking about pro-life pro-choice movements.

This is a cool little E.P. where you don’t usually find such a hardcore attitude, with metal vocals, and then the sound clips of hardcore, while also maintaining a sense of humor. This is truly a unique band, made up of a few fellas, who have lived in the hardcore and metal scene for decades. I am interesting in hearing more from this band, and look forward to some more high energy, political, hardcore rhythms, blended with the blackened metal vocals. I dig it, and as an E.P. I have to give these guys a 7/10 due to originality, and sound.

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-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com