Languished (NI) | ‘Burn’

Co. Down’s Languished aren’t exactly regulars on the gig circuit, and their first demo went out almost completely under the radar. This follow up however shows a band that should have no fear of getting out there - they’ve little left to tighten.

Their melodic death metal-lite borrows from both the Swedish blueprint and much that’s going on in the UK scene at the moment as well. So rather than death growls proper, it’s more a case of “deathcore” style bellowing.

That’s a bit frustrating. It would be great to hear some nice gutturals rather than this slight cop out - an extra smidgen of brutality would really make Languished a force to be reckoned with.

They’re rock solid though, with everything in place and a thick, meaty production. Their leads could have stood out more in the mix. The guitar talent is evidently there, but it’s not always given the green light.

Both the title track and ‘Primal State’ show that the band have good, memorable songwriting high on the agenda. They’re similar in this regard to the underrated Death Warrant from Derry, and perhaps fans of Dublin’s Ground Of Ruin might find appealing nuggets in here as well.

So they’re tight, well rehearsed and well put together. In terms of musical development though, I reckon they should be getting harder rather than more diverse.
I see Opeth, Mastodon and Dream Theatre in their list of influences. This demo doesnt reflect that - thankfully. They’re much more interesting ploughing through good riffs and aggressive drumming, and that’s what they should continue to major on. More gigs wouldn’t go amiss either.

- Earl Grey ::: 06/07/10