El Cielo

Demo EP - Crimson Swept Field

Play 90 second soundbite of 'Murder The Crow' @ 'CD quality'

This EP was entered into the 2008 Toxic Pete / ffg Studios Studio Time Competition

'Crimson Swept Field' is a bloody good demo EP from Nottingham's prog-metalists, El Cielo. El Cielo's style encompasses just about all the nuances required to fit into almost any heavy rock category; from strong heavy rock rhythms to full-on metal mayhem. El Cielo mix it up damn well and come up with a style that's sufficiently different to be more than a little interesting and very encouraging.

Although El Cielo sum up their wares as 'experimental/progressive/metal', there's also a big chunk of commercial sensibility woven carefully into their songs; El Cielo take care to build their songs around strong rhythmic frameworks which utilise monster riffs and variations on themes. Instrumentally their work is punchy and often complex but never self-indulgent. Vocally there's a good mix of emotional dexterity that vies with more than a touch of harsh, growling vocal histrionics typical of the metal genre.

El Cielo's 'progressive' bent is showcased by their ability to write more than just decent songs which take the listener on a rollercoaster ride all the way from heaven to right down to hell. El Cielo take metal rock to another level with their innovative songwriting and inspirational playing - these guys aren't pure metalists, they're holding tight onto the reigns of good old heavy rock whilst managing to harness and control the spikier aspects of the modern metal genre - the result is tastefully brash but energetically melodic - and pretty impressive!

If I have just one minor criticism it would be that occasionally the vocals get mobbed by the instrumentation - El Cielo's songs have stories to tell and the vocals need to be accessible in order to avoid falling into the screamin'-nightmarish-trashy nothingness of the less worthy hardcore metal - El Cielo have something to offer that the more radical metal bands don't seem able to give - heavy music with direction, meaning and aural comfort.

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