American death metal, and it's a new band on the scene? The answer is yes indeed. Hearken hails from Texas as so many bands these days do, but the difference here is the music. This is not a deathcore band, this is a death metal band. If you don't like metal stay away from this tape. I myself love metal, and this band serves it up with some serious speedy riffs, while still not really breaking into grindcore speeds of say Scrolls of the Megilloth.
Side one of this two song tape contains the title track, which is nearly 5 and half minutes of brutality. The song is unrelenting and fast. Side two has a three minute second song, called Discernment that is equally as intense.
Musically I like the sound that this three piece band produces. For the most part the album is very listenable. The vocals are distinctly growled and not burped as we all have heard in the past, and indeed BJ Southard has a very good growl. The guitars do get that "buzzy" sound that some people dislike in parts. Most of the time Jeff McCoy is belting out double bass beats from the drum kit, but in the midst of it all manages to keep his playing interesting, and lays off the snare quite a bit. The guitar and the bass did suffer in the mixing of this tape, and tend to have the bass drowned out in a few of the faster points of the songs. When the the bass is distinctly heard you will notice that Schaun Drab is playing some very difficult bass lines. He is not just backing up the low end of the song, but rather well defining it.
Both songs lyrics are included and at the end you have several Bibles verses listed to direct you to the scripture that was inspiration for these songs. From a Christian standpoint, the lyrics could only be closer to scripture if they were indeed straight out of the Bible.
The whole cassette comes in a full color cardboard sleeve like cassette singles come in and depicts the dead in Christ ascending to heaven from their graves. The lyrics are on a separate sheet enclosed inside.
All in all an excellent effort whose main draw back is that it is only 2 songs in length, but for $3.00 it's worth checking out. Having written a few e-mails to BJ Southard, I've been informed that the band has been refining their style and trying to get a heavier sound. It will be very interesting to hear what this highly talented band has to offer in the future.
7.5/10
Other Staff Member Ratings
Much: 8/10
