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First off, this isn't really an EP in any proper sense. It's more like a single with demo and bonus tracks. The title track is a full-blown proper recording from the upcoming CD -- "Faces" -- to be released this year. The two demos are musically similar and I presume will be included on the forthcoming album. The bonus tracks are culled from the band's first two releases, records which apparently saw the band's style change a great deal from the debut [1997] to the sophomore effort [2000]. The newest material sounds like Queensrÿche and Michael Graves [formerly of the resurrected Misfits, then Graves, and now of Gotham Road] had a baby with lots of atmospheric keyboards that are kind of distracting. Not my cup o' tea, at all. The musicians are competent, sure, but the recording does not showcase their live show which apparently can be formidable if one is to believe the online reviews available at their site. No bias, right? Right. The best track on this disc is "The Breed" from the debut. It kind of sounds like Jugulator-era Judas Priest. The opening vocals are very Ripper-esque. Anyhow, this is easily the strongest material on this disc. On the other hand, the songs from 2000 sound like a harder Queensrÿche to these ears. Some Pantera-isms creep in on "Judgment Day" but the trite lyrics and vocal delivery akin to Chris Jericho of Fozzy and wrestling fame are just too much.
It is hard to tell which Catwitch you will get because all of these songs are quite different from each other. The vocals appear to have gone slightly more Goth on the newer stuff. I think that is what the band is going for, although they have also been called a "shock metal band" which I don't get. Is anything really shocking anymore? This band in particular? No. I think not. I do feel bad giving this a 5, because the musicians are clearly competent, as I said before, and they at least write riffs that are not unenjoyable. It's just that you've already heard this kind of thing done before. And probably better, too. Biggest thing to note about this group? It's Halloween. Like King Diamond said, "every night to me is Halloween." It must be true for the group, too, as they don masks and make-up and other seasonal fashion in their photographs and the cover itself is a stylized version of their made up faces. They seriously look like extras from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is apparently a new image thing for the group because old pictures of the band do not indicate such fun. "Scare-Croooooooowwww!!!"
| Tracklist |
| 1. The Hidden |
| 2. Scare-Crow (demo) |
| 3. Faces (demo) |
| 4. The Breed ("bonus") |
| 5. Here ("bonus") |
| 6. Judgment Day ("bonus") |
| 7. Mortal Whispers ("bonus") |
: 34.10
| Buy other Catwitch albums |
