The vast majority of the time, I stay away from demos. It’s simply because I’d much rather hear the sound that the band is trying to make in its finished product after going through post-production. I can appreciate the raw samples, but a lot of the time it bogs down the experience for me. Sometimes, though, a real treat comes my way and a band really grabs my attention with their first offering in the form of a demo, and Toadeater is the latest to do just that.

A style that I’ve only recently discovered but always knew about is the incredible niche sound that is blackened punk, and I just can’t see any real fault in the sound of it all given the two different styles of punk and black metal work so well together top to bottom. With the three quick tracks that they bust out with their demo, Toadeater continues that trend of excellence as with their very first piece of material this German trio shows they can kick ass and make a name for themselves without even breaking a sweat. We all know the very first steps of a band can predict the rest of the act’s future, and I firmly believe that this demo already shows greatness twinkling in the display that we’re given with these three tracks. Toadeater doesn’t shy away from the riffs, favoring black metal over punk or vice versa to shake things up, even throwing in a dash of post elements because why not, and then pulling it off in such a way that makes you want more. And like I said – a demo tends to be drowned by the raw sound of everything in my experience, but Toadeater could keep this exact feel for everything they ever put out and I’d be completely on board for that.

These guys do a tremendous job with their first piece of material, and I’d be more than keen to hear more as soon as I could! Incredibly few bands manage to make good impressions so early on, and that’s a clear sign of the talent behind Toadeater. If this demo has taught us anything, it’s that this band should have a close eye kept on them.

LISTEN to “Demo” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Toadeater on Facebook here.