RUDE FOREFATHERS, Corner of the Pain  (2004, demo)

The skull:
The eyes..the swirl of smoke…the nipple ring that glows for no apparent reason…the muddy red. This whole thing is an eyesore. Why not hammer that final nail into the coffin with the Parental Advistory warning? Surely many Italian parents must be forewarned that these Forefathers are not only Rude, but potentially Vile, Obscene, and maybe even a little bit Naughty. A silly cover that looks thrown together last minute. Where have we heard that before?

The music:
Although they now sound like post-Power Metal Pantera meets Children of Bodom, which means it’s very well-played but difficult to enjoy for this friar, this earlier Rude Forefathers material is much less accomplished. The riffs are plodding and ham-fisted, the vocals like pre-Focus Cynic (not a great thing actually)…and I’m not really sure what to call this kind of metal. It’s like some ’80s-era Brazilian death/thrash band, in terms of wacky production and shoddy performances, with a bit of a hardcore slant, and some doom elements thrown in. Ultimately, the’yre a traditional metal band influenced by the heavier varieties like death and thrash, without any real direction or interesting ideas. But I don’t hate this. It has a charm, and even some good moments: the intro riff and brief wah-wah craziness in “Firm Blood”; a crazed guitar line that reminds of John Weston-era Dawnbringer. But that’s as good as it gets. “Slave” is like Schizophrenia-era Sepultura playing a NWOBHM cover song. And “Depression”…well, it’s a horrible, horrible thing, starting ballad-like, moving into doomier territory and maxing out with a faster section. When it gets fast, they try tackling tricky technicality far beyond their abilities. The playing is junky, the vocals a punky embarrasment…the entire song sucks. Clearly a rip-off of Metallica’s trio of Side 1, Song 4 ballads circa 1984, 1986 and 1988. Rude Forefathers have improved remarkably since this well-intentioned demo, they’re much better players and songwriters now, but whether it’s this inept era of the band or the more professional current stuff, I have better things to do, I don’t have time for any of it.
— Friar Wagner