Thomas
Taylor plays instrumental progressive metal with a heavy dose of djenty feel in
a lot of the riffs. Now, I’m not usually a fan of fully instrumental music, and
I have never been fond of djent (still not sure it’s even a real thing) but the
music on this demo is original and well-written enough to at least keep me
interested throughout the 11 minute duration.
The first
song here “Schizoid” is based around an assortment of chuggy patterns and shredding
guitar leads that change rapidly and keep the listener’s attention moving with
the song. The leads and solo in this song are particularly impressive. Taylor
certainly knows how to shred, and tastefully too. The tone is a little muddy in
the lowest of the low chug-along riffage, but it’s forgivable as the rest of
the production is great for what I assume is a home (or at least budget) job.
The drums (or drum programming) are also very well done, sounding techy but
within the realm of what a human being can play.
The next
song “Pickless” is the complete opposite of the first track (except that it
also shows off Taylor’s very accomplished guitar skills). This song is
comprised fully of clean guitar and bass, tapping and sliding around some
really pretty melodies. Sometimes things feel a bit cluttered with all of the
notes, but the song as a whole is very enjoyable.
The last
track “Timbre” seems like a combination of styles from the first two tracks. It
is most definitely heavy, as dem fatty chugs djent along in the background
while more melodic guitar and keyboard work takes the forefront. There is a
very cool layering of big guitar chords with tremolo picked melodies and a
near-flawlessly played sweepfest of a solo near the end. However, the end of
the song feels rather abrupt and I feel that this song in particular, and
consequently the demo as a whole, feels just a bit unfinished.
This isn’t a
style of music that usually blows my mind, but Taylor is such a talented
guitarist that I can’t help but give him a lot of points for that alone. The
songs here are also showcase a lot of cool, sometimes memorable, ideas. If you
don’t mind your metal with a definite proggy, modern slant, this guy is worth
checking out: http://thomastaylor.bandcamp.com/
Tex's rating: 80%
