Free Metals: départe - demo [MMXIV]

Post metal with slabs of blackened death make for an interesting debut demo from Australia's départe. On the two tracks that make up demo [MMXIV], this Aussie quintet seamlessly manages to bring a sense of order to the chaos that they stir up over the course of these eighteen minutes.

"I" starts strong right out of the gate and doesn't let up. At around the five-minute mark, the song comes out of the muck and mire and bursts through the clouds, closing with clean vocals that initially didn't sit right with me but have since begun to win me over.

"II" is a little less intense, perhaps because it's more sprawled out and takes the time to build up and then crash down. Similar to its counterpart, it also peaks during its last couple minutes (without clean vocals this time).

All in all, this is an impressive debut from a band that has the ability to make noise and yet control it. After hearing this two-song demo, I must say that I'm looking forward to what comes next from départe.

demo [MMXIV]  is available to stream or download at the "Name Your Price" option at départe's bandcamp page, so be sure to check it out here.