ALATION Demo Review

Alation – Demo 2011 #2

Self-released, 2011

9/10

Click picture to see more photos of Alation performing last year (23).

I’ll keep this review of Minneapolis band Alation’s latest demo brief, since it reprises tracks previously found on two of their earlier demos from 2010 and 2011 (reviewed here and here). This demo features three songs, “Bed Of Nails”, “Abscess Of Insanity”, and “Aflame”, as new versions that have been re-recorded and/or remastered. There’s not a whole lot of difference in the songs themselves, but they definitely sound better than ever when compared to the earlier versions. “Bed Of Nails” is a fast, thrashy song that benefits most from a superior drum sound than that found on the 2010 demo. The differences on the other two songs are more subtle. “Abscess Of Insanity” has Angel singing in her rough, aggressive voice, while she mixes it up with clear singing on “Aflame”. Musically the band blends thrash with technical guitar leads to create a modern sound that any fan of extreme metal will love. Alation is one of the best local bands playing in the Twin Cities area right now, so don’t miss your chance to catch them live this weekend. While it’s nice to hear these songs with a better sound, hopefully some new songs will be released in the near future.

Click to watch Alation perform “Aflame” last year in Minneapolis.

Alation performs this Saturday, October 22 at Station 4 in St. Paul with Under Eden, Echoterra, and Minos. This is a 16+ show, doors are at 7:00, and it’s only $5.

ALATION Demo Review

Alation – Demo 2011

Self-released, 2011

9/10

 Click picture to see more photos of Alation performing last year (23).

Minneapolis-based Alation is keeping their strong momentum going with the recent release of a new two-song demo to follow their killer five-song demo from last year (reviewed here). Overall, I’d have to say that the band does a modern take on thrash metal, but there are many reasons why Alation shines. For one, don’t mistake the thrash influences for this being a retro-hack regurgitation like many signed bands. The closest comparison, musically, is to mid-tempo Testament, with an emphasis on well-crafted melodies and extended guitar solos. Female vocals aren’t a gimmick anymore in extreme metal, and vocalist Angel uses the full range of her capabilities more than most. She can sing clean and with a rough scream with the best of them, but what I love is the way she sings melodies to give the songs a haunting, personal feel. The first song on this latest demo is “Abcess Of Insanity”, which after a powerful introduction leads into a slow, stomping song that kicks in with a vocal melody of the type I was referring to. There’s plenty of guitar fills and solos along the way from Stu and Sawyer, and it’s clear this song is another winner for the band’s catalog. The second song, “Aflame”, appeared on the expanded version of last year’s demo (reviewed here), and I’m not sure if it’s been changed at all for release again here. It doesn’t matter, this is the band’s best song and represents best what Alation is capable of. As I’ve noted previously, “Aflame” has Angel spitting out some vicious vocal barbs while the rest of the band kicks it into high gear, with a acoustic vocal and guitar interlude that progresses into a fast closer for the ambitious, seven-minute track. Alation continue to prove that they’re the real deal, and labels would be wise to start paying attention to this talented, original band that offers a fresh take on thrash-influenced metal that blows away the stale retro-craze still ongoing. See Alation tonight to pick up your copy of this and show ‘em your support, or head over to their Facebook page to stream these and other songs.

Click to watch Alation perform “Aflame” last year in Minneapolis.

Alation performs tonight, Thursday, September 1 at Station 4 in St. Paul with Hollowstone, Urn, Northsky, and Eldergaad. This is a 21+ show with doors at 7:00 and Eldergaad takes the stage at 7:30.

Album Review Recap

There's a few bands coming to town yet in September whose latest albums I've previously reviewed. In case you missed them, here's a short recap. Click on the links to read the full reviews.

Revocation - Existence Is Futile (Relapse) - 9/10

Misery Index - Heirs To Thievery (Relapse) - 9/10

Revocation and Misery Index perform tonight, Thursday, September 16 at Station 4 in St. Paul as support to Despised Icon.

Swallow The Sun - New Moon (Spinefarm) - 9/10

Swallow The Sun's last performance in St. Paul with Finntroll and Moonsorrow on April 17, 2010 was reviewed here.

Swallow The Sun performs this Saturday, September 18 at Station 4 in St. Paul as direct support to Katatonia with Orphaned Land and Cold Colours.

Slash - Slash (EMI) - 7/10

Slash performs Thursday, September 23 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina.

Alation - Demo (Self-released) - 9/10 (updated here)

Alation's performance in Minneapolis with Echoterra on May 21, 2010 was reviewed here.

Alation performs Friday, September 24 at the Star Bar & Grill in Columbia Heights with Ugly Beauty and Bloodtrust.

Alation Demo Review Update

I recently reviewed the excellent 2010 demo from Minneapolis metal band Alation; I rated it as a 9, and you should read the reviews of the demo and a recent show. The band have now released an expanded version of the demo that includes a fifth song, “Aflame”. I previously posted a video of this song from a performance in May (you can view it below), so it’s great to see this amazing song included. Clocking in at over seven minutes, “Aflame” is the band’s most ambitious song to date. It begins with simple vocal melody, then shifts into some brutal screaming from Angel accompanied by a buzzsaw riff. Drummer Curt really steps it up on this song and adds some interesting fills throughout. The song then leads into an acoustic vocal interlude led by bassist Paul that rebuilds with a guitar solo back into a fast ending. “Aflame” could well be Alation’s best song, and if it’s an indication of the direction of future tracks then things can only get better for this exceptional band. All five demo tracks can be purchased through the band's Myspace page.

 

Click to watch a live performance of “Aflame” from May 21, 2010 at the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis

 Click photo to see more pictures of Alation (23).

Alation will be playing at the Northern Wisconsin Metalfest 7 Pre-Bash in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin this Saturday, August 28. Their next two Twin Cities-area shows will be September 24 at the Star Bar in Columbia Heights and November 5 at Crypticon 2010 in Bloomington.

Alation Demo Review

Alation - Demo

Self-released, 2010

9/10

Having been blown away upon seeing young Minneapolis upstarts Alation recently (read the show review here), I was somewhat anxious to hear if the recorded output of this four-song demo would confirm my positive thoughts on this exciting band. I’m happy to report that the demo lives up to the power of their live show. Alation offers an original take on modern-sounding female-fronted thrash metal here. Musically, the band melds technical guitar riffs and solos with a predominantly mid-tempo crunch. Comparisons are inevitable, and to me the guitar style of Testament, Iron Maiden, and In Flames shine through at times, but influences are cleverly incorporated in a way that allows Alation to sound familiar yet unique. Vocalist Angel, though, steals the show with a performance that reminds me of the late Dawn Crosby from Fear Of God: emotional, brutal, and full of conviction. You can only appreciate this if you’ve heard the vastly overlooked Within The Veil album from Fear Of God. Angel’s harsh voice is heavy enough to stand up to the music, but it’s her alternating use of this with clear singing and personal lyrics that makes things interesting. Following some tortured-sounding wails from Angel, the first verse of the opening track, “Redemption”, kicks off with a upbeat stomp that brings Testament’s “Souls Of Black” to mind. The thrashier sound of “Bed Of Nails” picks things up a bit, while “Forsaken” features some venomous lines spat out between technical guitar runs and a refreshing, melodic chorus. Closing track “Scarred” is probably the weakest song here, but it holds up well and doesn’t detract from the others in the least. The overall song writing is incredibly strong, and I’m impressed with how quickly Alation has developed an original sound that puts much label-released material to shame. Combine this with the talented guitar work of Stu and Sawyer and the charismatic, bold vocal style of Angel, and Alation is unstoppable. I expect that Alation will be able to quickly build a fanbase, and some choice opening slots for touring acts are certainly deserved. Any metal label scouting for hot, fresh talent need not look any further. You can listen to and purchase these songs plus the awesome track “Aflame” (live video of this song below) directly from Alation’s Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/alationmetal.

Alation will be playing alongside Mushroomhead plus more bands to be announced at Crypticon 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington on Friday, November 5. NOTE: Mushroomhead’s website lists November 6 as their performance date at Crypticon.

Watch Alation perform "Aflame" in Minneapolis on May 21, 2010.

Click photo to see more pictures of Alation (23).