4 out of 5

Label: self-released?

Producer: Hematovore?

Hot damn, Hematovore, how did the world not embrace you?  This is the kind of random band you hope to stumble into playing live somewhere and who end up rocking your fucking fuck off and you spend the whole next day blabbing to your uncaring friend at work about how the freaking drummer double bass drummed to hell while the guitarist and bassist pulled off ‘Don Caballero 2’-era-cycled-through-Metallica riffs without missing a beat all while just sorta hanging back and looking chill about it, like the song just sorta shimmied up into their instruments and then they shrugged and let loose.  You then forget to commit the weirdo name to memory and a few days later when you’re at the CD shop (remember those?) trying to ask the dude about the band and he’s rolling his eyes, sure you’re talking about Hella or something, and why did you buy another crappy dumbass hipster PBR instead of plunking down some dollars for a CD at the show?  It wouldn’t have mattered if either you or shop boy had thought to check the Voice to see who played at Random Dive Bar on the night you were there, because ‘Requiem’ by Hematovore was undoubtedly not available in the store.  Sorry.  It’s a freaking demo.  I got it in a backwards fashion, and I feel goddamned blessed.

This rocks.  Every song is epic.  The recording isn’t professional, but each instrument comes through clearly and all the quiet-to-loud-to-quiet-to-loud moments blister the speakers just fine, thank you.  Even the live tracks at the end of the disc – though more wandering and sorta improvised feeling than the rest of the album – have amazing moments that, if the ‘live’ is to be believed (the crowd sounds kinda fake, so who knows), should dispell any doubt that these chaps are pulling this shit off without having to multi-track or do it over.  What ‘Requiem’ is missing… is a sense of being an album.  When I say every track is epic, I mean it.  Every song exists on its own, and builds and builds and releases like its an intro or ending track.  Which is great, but sort of a shame, since there seems to be some kind of theme to the song titles and album art (…something with… insects…)and it would’ve been nice if there was a better feeling of scope from start to finish somehow, something they totally figured out for their first actual album ‘Untitled.’  So… something about that makes it hard for my brain to register any particular song… like I can’t see it as puzzle pieces, I just keep feeling like the album is starting over.  Not such a horrible thing, but whatever.  Blah blah blah and stuff.

I’m sorry you don’t own this.  yeeee!