| Normally when I see the creepily smeared logos of some of today’s metal bands I lose interest
because
I can't even read half of them. Oshtemo is an upstart band from around K-Zoo Michigan and I felt
very stupid after I read the bands name for the first time thinking it meant "Oh Shit Emo" or
something and then it turned out it's a location. Smart me I suppose. Well this is just a 3 song
sampler but I wanted to see what is ticking with this band.
Surprisingly crisp production for an upstart band, I was privy to some splendid death metal guitar
riff sprees that rang in loud and clear. The growly vocals of their lead singer Corey were also well
tracked and even though I'm sure he is fairly young, he has some pipes on him. You can hear the
maturation of the guitars, as they chug in to deep breakdowns and then jump into a melodic fronted
series of guitars. It is interesting to see the similarities of Oshtemo, and other bands like The
Black Dahlia Murder, Darkest Hour, and even parts like In Flames.
This demo is impressive and while the members have had previous experience in other bands, Oshtemo
feels like the culmination of what they have been striving at for years. The music is solid and
brutal and I can't wait to hear their full length because I think it might rival some of the major
death metal coming out this year.
~ Pernell
May 25 2008 |
