Hailing from Penrith/Cumbria, Die No More are due to release their debut, Elected Evil this November. We were lucky enough to get a copy and analyse their efforts as they attempt to break into the UK metal scene.
The band cite influences from metal titans Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and with grumbling undertones from the percussion and bass, the power chords and the throaty vocals of ‘Dark World‘, this certainly fits the bill for a metal record.
‘Soul Destroyer‘ begins with strong chords, quick taps of the hi-hat and the introduction of the low and bassy riff. Vocals are one tone and almost spoken during verses, but are layered with backing whispers during the chorus. Later, a key change introduces the slamming guitar solo.
It takes a minute of instrumentals before ‘Absentia‘ properly kicks in. It’s refreshing to have a build up to get listeners excited, but it is perhaps a little too long. Yet as the main event, so to speak, begins the song is fairly average with monotonous vocals and a plodding song structure without any real bite.
Meanwhile, ‘Council Of War‘ is a lot bouncier. The supporting rhythm behind the vocals during the chorus is nicely off-beat and will get any listeners to at least nod their head. Guitar solos seem to be essential to all the tracks on the record, but during this track, the bass has a mini-solo too.
‘One In The Chamber‘, however, offers quite a different theme. With twangy guitar melodies in the intro, the intertwining layers equal a more complex ambience. This is sort of lost during the chorus, but the verses are strong and bursting with catchy riffs. The outro of acoustic guitars using the same melody lines is another nice touch, crowning this as our favourite song of the album.
Ending track, ‘Oblivious‘ boasts a faster pace and a soaring guitar solo from the outset. The vocals are pushed further in terms of melody, and with a funky drum beat and chord structure, this is a brilliant way to ride out the album.
There is great emphasis on their instrumental talents throughout the record, but it’s just a bit samey. We’ll take our hats off to their abilities, but sadly it’s not our cup of tea.
