First
Demo - Tracklisting
1.Hyperion
03:20
2.Sea
of Grass 02:42
3.Super
Symmetry 03:04
4.Stone
Harvest (Dark Summer) 04:48
Band
Members:
Chris
Whitehouse - Vocals
Danny
Hughes - Drums
Orestis
Papadopoulos - Bass
Gary
Evans - Guitar
Nathan
Mallon - Guitar
Review:
With
science fiction themed concepts providing an incredible source of
inspiration to the cosmic sound of stoner metal it is no surprise
that in recent years the two seem to be hanging out at a lot of the
same parties and whilst not officially an item per se, they can often
be caught exchanging coquettish glances with one another from across
the room. On this particular occasion however, Manchester band Gaul
also attended the party and acted as one hell of a wing man ensuring
that by the end of the night stoner metal and sci fi were going
steady. Heck, they’ve even changed their relationship status on
Facebook and are planning a short city break to Amsterdam.
Track
1: Hyperion. The opening track kicks the demo off with a superb
sonic countdown to a riff-heavy blast off. Fans of Torche won’t be
disappointed by the slow burning, rhythmic jet engines that push the
track through an atmospheric barrier of melodic, reverb-sodden vocals
into an asteroid belt of top class Sabbath worship.
Track
2: Sea Of Grass. Buckle in and engage the hyper drive. Sea Of Grass
picks up the pace to a relentless gallop before crash landing the
Gaul-ship on a mysterious, green planet where the inhabitants ingest
toxic plant matter and excrete the purest groove. If you enjoy the
likes of Dozer and The Atomic Bitchwax then be sure to climb aboard.
Track
3: Super Symmetry. Houston, we have a chug fest! Next up is a
powerful vocal performance with some sweet harmonies in conjunction
with a Fu Manchu style guitar showdown. By this point of the demo
Gaul find themselves in the belly of the riff-warp. Could all
passengers please keep their seatbelts fastened and adorn their
breathing apparatus.
Track
4: Stone Harvest (Dark Summer). The last track of the demo begins
with that weightless psychedelia vibe that fans of Colour Haze, Earth
and Stoned Jesus will savour. The distant vocals and subtle guitars
create an immersive, reposeful soundscape that allows you to drift
only so far before the heaving chorus slaps you awake again. The demo
ends on a balls out riff feast with each instrument locked tightly in
a groove which I could happily listen to all day. Many bands may be
tempted to let this kind of heavy hook play out to a long fade,
however Gaul let the demo end abruptly; a great contrast to the
gentle limber of the track’s intro. The immediate silence at the
end of this demo creates an empty space that I want to fill by
pressing play again right away.
Over-all
I feel that this self-recorded demo is a strong introduction to the
band, showcasing diverse song writing from a tight group of musicians
with more gems in their pockets than Jack Maclean. I look forward to
more polished recordings from this band in the future.
Words
by ThisHairyGuy