DITCHWATER - BREAKDOWN (DEMO)
INDEPENDENT 2001
By James O'Toole
Ditchwater's current lineup came together in June 2001 and the band have wasted no time in producing this six track demo to showcase their talents. Ditchwater are a four piece from Chicago who play melodic alternative metal with a contemporary sound, combining the best of old and new school elements.
First song 10 to 12, Soul to Cell is a fine track, kicking in with a guitar riff which sounds like a cross between Pantera and Korn. This track instantly stood out and caught my attention and would be no doubt be a good opening number live. Second track IDGAF is another mover, opening with loads of tight double kick drums and solid riffing. The aggressive vocals on this track work well, alternating with more melodic passages to provide atmosphere and interest. There are smooth, well executed
lead breaks in these first two tracks which add dynamics and melody to the songs without being overplayed.
Third track Losing Ground is a slower number, with moody verses with more space, punctuated by brief bursts of aggression. Losing Ground has a lot of feel and is a good song but would benefit from a shorter, catchier chorus. Fourth track Away is a mid paced effort with a nice guitar interlude halfway through the song but again the song lacks a killer hook to make it really memorable. Ditchwater are close to writing the kind of material that will earn them serious attention but they still have some work to do first. Fifith and sixth tracks Breakdown and Fragments show Ditchwater's songwriting starting to fall into similar patterns. Many of these tracks could be interchangeable - you could easily drop a chorus or verse from one into another and not really notice a huge difference.
This is a promising demo from a new band with good skills. Ditchwater have only been writing together for six months so they will no doubt improve as they continue to fine tune their sound and identity. Vocalist Eric Chez has a versatile and distinctive voice, which certainly will hold the band in good stead in the future. The first three tracks show a lot of potential and if Ditchwater can refine their song writing and come up with some stronger, catchier choruses then they could well be on the way to bigger and better things.
For more information on Ditchwater check out www.ditchwater1.com.
6.5/10
INDEPENDENT 2001
By James O'Toole
Ditchwater's current lineup came together in June 2001 and the band have wasted no time in producing this six track demo to showcase their talents. Ditchwater are a four piece from Chicago who play melodic alternative metal with a contemporary sound, combining the best of old and new school elements.
First song 10 to 12, Soul to Cell is a fine track, kicking in with a guitar riff which sounds like a cross between Pantera and Korn. This track instantly stood out and caught my attention and would be no doubt be a good opening number live. Second track IDGAF is another mover, opening with loads of tight double kick drums and solid riffing. The aggressive vocals on this track work well, alternating with more melodic passages to provide atmosphere and interest. There are smooth, well executed
lead breaks in these first two tracks which add dynamics and melody to the songs without being overplayed.
Third track Losing Ground is a slower number, with moody verses with more space, punctuated by brief bursts of aggression. Losing Ground has a lot of feel and is a good song but would benefit from a shorter, catchier chorus. Fourth track Away is a mid paced effort with a nice guitar interlude halfway through the song but again the song lacks a killer hook to make it really memorable. Ditchwater are close to writing the kind of material that will earn them serious attention but they still have some work to do first. Fifith and sixth tracks Breakdown and Fragments show Ditchwater's songwriting starting to fall into similar patterns. Many of these tracks could be interchangeable - you could easily drop a chorus or verse from one into another and not really notice a huge difference.
This is a promising demo from a new band with good skills. Ditchwater have only been writing together for six months so they will no doubt improve as they continue to fine tune their sound and identity. Vocalist Eric Chez has a versatile and distinctive voice, which certainly will hold the band in good stead in the future. The first three tracks show a lot of potential and if Ditchwater can refine their song writing and come up with some stronger, catchier choruses then they could well be on the way to bigger and better things.
For more information on Ditchwater check out www.ditchwater1.com.
6.5/10
