Revocation giveaway
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Every so often I come across a band whose unsigned status is utterly incomprehensible. Boston’s Revocation are by far the greatest example. I saw them live last fall. They were a trio and could have used a second guitarist. Still, they killed. In guitarist/vocalist David Davidson, I saw the next Dimebag Darrell – not in sound, but in individual identity and total command of the instrument. Here was a guitarist raised on thrash (Dave Mustaine was an obvious influence) who had cranked up his chops with death metal, never sacrificing melody or feel. My jaw was on the floor.
I bought a CD, Empire of the Obscene. Amazingly, it was even better. Songs were catchy yet deep, the production was perfect, and the artwork was typical high-grade stuff from Pär Olofsson. The record was “pro” – something Metal Blade or Century Media could have released. If it had come out in the late-’80s/early-’90s, it would have competed with the best in technical thrash. Yet it was unsigned. Every few months, I asked the band whether it was signed. The answer was always, “We are negotiating with labels.” How long could that take??? I reviewed the record for Decibel‘s demo column (#54, Brutal Truth cover). Sure enough, the band signed to Relapse a few weeks ago. A new album, Existence Is Futile, is due out this fall.
Empire of the Obscene is available from the band’s MySpace. It is the best unsigned metal CD I’ve ever heard. I am giving away one copy of it. Just email invisibleoranges at gmail dot com by midnight EST on Sunday, May 17, with the subject header “Revocation rules” and your name and address. I will randomly choose a winner.
