Vaalt - Demo MMXIII

"Metal harder than Granite"

Vaalt is a band hailing from Calgary, Canada. They formed in 2012 and released this demo in 2013.

The production is very raw and adds a very distinct Incantation feel to it. The guitars have an ominous sound to them and is perfectly placed in the production, and does not drown out the other instrument. Which to my personal experience, happens to a lot of death metal bands. As for the music itself, it is like old Incantation's production mixed with Thorr's Hammer music layout and sound (minus the clean vocals). And because I fuckin' love those two bands that gives a big plus in my book. The bass plays simple riffs to the drumbeat and maintain a very deep sound. The drums, while hard hitting, they are kind of buried and very messy, the bassdrum is almost inaudible. Is it too bad, because the drummer actually plays some great beats, especially on track 2.

The vocal parts are done by a woman named Alayna Gretton, and by Odin's beard does she have one of the most awe-inspiring and deep vocals I have heard in my life. These vocals would bellow so deep in the mines of Moria that the Balrog would cower in fear. There are also some haunting screams on 'Predation Granite', which adds a variation to her vocals, and very much to the atmosphere of this demo. On 'Soliloquy of the Smoldering', her vocals match the droning beats in utterly fashion. Maybe I praise Alayna's vocals a bit too much, but I was just surprised to find vocals of this quality and voracity on a demo.

The production is maybe a little too raw, but the music is absolutely fantastic. I especially love the atmosphere this gem has produced, which many modern old school bands just don't do for me. This is a great demo, and I will surely follow these guys in the following years to see what else they can produce.

Rating

8.5