When I first saw this cd, I didn't particularly care to hear it. Now that I've heard it, I could really care less what it looks like.
You may not know this band name, but you probably know the members. Jim Chaffin (The Crucified, The Blamed) is back on the drums here, and he's got Mike Phillips from "Stay of Execution" era Deliverance on the guitar. Rather than re-hash the old stuff they're already known for, though, they've decided to re-hash more recent stuff a la Erase, Living Sacrifice, Mindrage, etc. Hey, it's a genre we all dig, and while this cd won't stand out among the above, it will stand up with them without any trouble. And that's why I'm excited about this band -- this does not have the appearance of a cd that guys like me are supposed to have. This is a demo in the true sense of the word -- the insert was clearly done on some guy's computer and has been hand cut, the cd-r doesn't even have the band name on it, and nobody bothered with a rear insert. I don't even know how to tell you how to get a copy (although www.phillipsdoor.com/parakaleo.htm is a pretty good place to start) as this one is borrowed from a buddy who bought it straight from Jim at a Blamed show not long ago. Despite the superficial simplicity, however, the production is clear and satisfying, and the thick, chunky metal grooves flat out rip. Anyway, I'm sure that we'll all be hearing bigger and better things out of these guys soon, and I can't wait to hear what happens when they're serious.
8/10
