Demo 2010 reviewed by Lords of Metal

Once Godlike - demo 2010
Self-financed

file under Death metal / Grindcore

Neithan: Once Godlike is a Belgian band that started out as a dark metalcore act. Their last release, ‘Art Of Impact’, sounded like a mix between hardcore/metalcore and thrash. In 2008 the line-up changed: both guitarists, Kristoff and Stijn, left and were replaced by new guitarist Indy, and so the style changed along. It is now called black/ death experimental metal, but I don’t hear that much of black metal in the music, so let’s stick to the term “experimental old school death metal”.

It has been a considerable change of course and this demo is hardly to be compared to ‘Art Of Impact’: nevertheless I will do it anyway by saying that that previous release sounded more dynamic and band-like, so perhaps the new line-up (oh well, three out of four have remained within the ranks) still has to grow into the new style. It is a kind of simple, militant old school death metal with some mathematic riffs. In my opinion it is too monotonous and just a bit too familiar, and this style specifically would have been very fit for a band with two guitarists in stead of one, also to make the riffs sound more massive. It now sounds a bit shallow. A bit of Mortician, Six Feet Under, some old Obitus, add some black metal screams and experimental/mathematic riffs into it, put it in the blender and there you have the mix of the band’s status at the time of recording. This is quite a wide spectrum and as a result of that, the band sounds a little too much like all but lacks a soul of its own (and I don’t even refer to a typical own sound). The old school feeling is enhanced by the sound of the riffing (brutal) and the monotonous drumming: even if the band has a drummer of flesh and blood, it sometimes feels as soulless as a drumming computer.

It is an interesting concept, but there is a lot to be done if they want to impress this genre. Yet in no way I would suggest the band to call it a day when it comes down to this style: I think they recorded the demo a bit too early, because this style demands a lot. I do think that the band has possibilities, it is just that they are too impatient…

Rating: 55/100 (details)

http://www.myspace.com/oncegodlike

link: http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=16208&lang=en