Released By : Self Released

Genre : Power Metal, Melodic Metal

Links : http://www.myspace.com/denieditaly

Tracklist:

01. The Path

02. Black Gate

03. Seven Stars

04. My Advance

DENIED entered the metal landscape back in 2005 with a self-produced demo that showed enough quality for the band to end up signed with PAINKILLER RECORDS. This led to a full length album in 2008 titled When the Slate Becomes Diamonds, which was classed widely as a bit mediocre but rarely dissed either. So here we are couple of years later and yet again the band has self-released a four track demo titled SEVEN STARS. As far as I know the band are still signed with their label, so I’m not really sure why they have bothered self-releasing another demo, but oh well here it is to let’s take a look.

My first criticism is the fact that there is a two minute instrumental intro track like you usually find on just about every recently released power metal album. The problem here though is that SEVEN STARS is merely a four track disc, so using one of those tracks as an intro seems pretty silly and quite useless. With that out of the way we are left with three proper tunes and at least they are pretty good. The first proper track BLACK GATE is surely the best of the bunch and is a song that I think I could get right into if it was a properly recorded version. SEVEN STARS is pretty cool also but not as good as the previous track. MY ADVANCE seems to be the weakest of the bunch and while a decent song in its own right, it’s not quite up to the same level as the other two.

Obviously being a self-produced and self-released demo the production here is pretty ordinary, made most noticeable by the drumming which sounds like a few shoeboxes and a couple of tin lids. This is a bit of a shame really as the skillful drumming seems to be one the stand-out things about the band.

So what we are left with in all reality is a poorly produced four track disc that is bookended with a pointless intro track and a less than stellar closing track. It’s a good thing that the two songs in the middle of the disc are worth listening to or we could have real disaster on our hands. It’s a confusing release to be sure but I know DENIED will bounce back with something better in the future. I would certainly like to hear BLACK GATE recorded in a proper studio for a place on a full album in the near future.

Written By ZeeZee

Rating : 6/10