Demo’s such as this always prove the most fiddly to try and sum up in a few paragraphs. We all know the labours that unsigned bands go through to record their initial few tracks in the hope of getting signed and we all know how hard it is to face the painful rejection of people such as myself saying they aren’t that good. It isn’t an easy job and it needs to be done, which is why it pains me to say that the ‘Invitations’ EP just doesn’t quite cut the standard you would want or expect from the high levels that are continually being set.
It isn’t all bad, there are certain shimmers of light within sections of certain tracks, but the feel of everything having been done many, many times before is to difficult to ignore and as such upon repeat listens it is hard not to pick faults at the littlest things. ‘Invitations’ begins the four tracks and you quickly become accustomed to the chunky distorted guitars which are a regular theme for the rest of the demo and add little to the general atmosphere on show. The clichéd screaming displayed on ‘Another Victim‘ tires quickly and even the fairly impressive riff running throughout does little to save. The best is saved for ‘Interrogation of Shadows’ which is refreshingly mellow in comparison to others while it ends with the generic and slightly odd ‘A new chapter’.
Harking back to my opening paragraph, it isn’t easy to be this harsh on a band without a deal, but there is little of promise of the four tracks on show. The screaming is dull and tiresome, there is little real melody on show and the constant skipping between blowing guitars and light riffing goes on too much. For now, I think the Red Room Theory should go back to the drawing board.
Jay