Wednesday 14 January 2015

Uhna - Demo 2014 (Review)


Album Type: Demo EP
Date Released: 1/8/2014
Label: Bandcamp

‘Uhna Demo’ DD track listing:

1).Only the Dead Go Free
2). Falling
3). Pressure
4). Silenced

Review:

From a slew of albums I could choose to review, Uhna’s Demo EP stood out from the pack.  Their sound instantly grabbed me and held on until the finish, and I knew this was the one.  Hailing from Malmö, Sweden, this 3-piece sludge outfit deliver a heavy dose of sludge style riffs and although not entirely groundbreaking stuff, it is original enough for me to say that they have acquired “their own sound.”

Their demo begins with ‘Only the Dead Go Free.”  At first I didn’t think this slotted into the overall sound of their EP, and it took some time to grow on me, but it finally did.  It’s a somber, slow instrumental intro that will ease you into the sonic bombast to come.  This could have easily been the intro to the track following this, as opposed to being an individual song, but in the end it works out. 

Next is “Falling,” and off we go.  Uhna hits hard with a fierce riff, excellent guitar tones, and the vocal delivery fits perfectly.  No “clean” singing here, this is angry, “yelling style” vocals that can get you into the mood to smash concrete blocks with your skull.  Think Jon Davis of “Conan” and you get the picture.

Third track is “Pressure,” a solid tune that has some “prog-metal” influences to it, ala “TOOL.”  Where I would have liked that style to be a bit less in the forefront, it didn’t dissuade me from listening to it again and again.  Overall they add enough of their own style to keep me interested.    

Lastly we have “Silenced,” the EP’s closing number.  This one is the most gritty (and with just a bit more fuzz than the others) and is by far my favorite track.  Drenched in feedback and reverb, out of the 4 songs this is the one that I hit replay on the most.  Excellent.

Overall this is a fantastic debut EP.  This is a band I will keep my eye on for sure.  As of now, you can download their demo for free at their Bandcamp page.  I highly recommend you do and give these guys a listen.  I doubt you will regret it!

Words by: Mike Lainez

You can pick up the DD here

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