From the Underground: ALHAZRED

ALHAZRED
2012 Demo
Self-Released
May 29^th, 2012

Baltimore’s ALHAZRED succeed in pushing out a quality first demo of fast-paced death metal with both melodic and progressive touches.  The band formed in August of last year, and since that time have been busy opening for a bunch touring bands and playing local gigs.  The 2012 demo consists of four songs, and is available on ALHAZRED’s Bandcamp page HERE for free download.

So what do you get with ALHAZRED’s four-song demo?  A strong blend of Swedish DM combined with fast-paced melodic injects and catchy riffs that make for a great listen.  Unlike some of their contemporaries, ALHAZRED keeps the vocal domain full of growls, and thankfully stays away from anything clean.  That said, the vocal range is still formidable, which makes for some cool transitions with each song.

The highlights on the demo are the second and third tracks, hands down.  “Death, Slavery, and the Pursuit of Misery” has a great sound across the board and was mixed very well.  The tune is very Swedish DM in sound, and the delivery is aggressive and deliberate.  Take a listen below.

The third track “Decadent Desecration” has a killer intro, and the riff is catchy as hell.  The vocals have a deeper growl to them, which keeps the metal varied in sound yet doesn’t stray far from the path of ALHAZRED’s style. 

I would tell you to not judge the demo from the first song.  “Viral Fear” is a bit choppy at times, and the drum levels are not conducive to the song’s rhythm.  It is not a bad tune, but by no means the best that this demo has to offer. 

Fans of REVOCATION and ABYSMAL DAWN will really get into ALHAZRED’s sound, which is not identical to either band, but definitely takes some influence from their technical death and melodic styles.

LINKS
ALHAZRED on Facebook
ALHAZRED on Bandcamp

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