Denatured Review
An honest, unpolished initial hard rock/heavy metal offering.
I knew this band deserved a chance when I heard the Maiden-esque intro to “Can’t Rain Forever”. Consider Hardnosed Bastards a diamond in the rough; an enjoyable musical experience that is somewhat diminished by a number of little mistakes and the occasional poor mix job (the vocal level in “Suffer” is a fine example, but it’s their first recording so I’ll cut them some slack). Denatured wears its old-school influences on its sleeve- In addition to the aforementioned Iron Maiden reference, here’s a little tip of the hat to Black Sabbath in “Never Get Out” and what sounds like early Priest in the opening of “Prisoner” (which has an incredible guitar riff that kicks in around 4:00 that will have you doing your best Halford wails).
I swear the guitars even sound like Ratt or older Motley Crue in parts. Good stuff. The drumming is loose and adventurous with plenty of double bass and ambitious fills. This guy’s on his fourth Red Bull by the second song, I’m sure of it. The vocals remind me of an early James Hetfield (think Kill ‘Em All). The singing sounds strained in some sections (i.e.; the first verse of “R.I.P.”), but there’s a really honest quality to it. In the beginning of “Prisoner”, I almost thought I was listening to Dave Mustaine for a second. I think that with a little more work, this guy could be a monster vocalist. Really.
Hardnosed Bastards may require a few listens to truly appreciate, but if you like your music hard and a little more traditional, then it might just be worth the effort. It was for this listener.
Dane
Find Denatured Hardnosed Bastards EP @:
last.fm - listen to songs
http://myspace.com/denatured
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And you can request their songs at anytime on our station! We'd like to thank them for taking the time to get an interview with them.
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