Usually it wouldn’t make much sense to do a review of a demo; it would be wiser to wait until the band’s actual album was coming out, the demo just serving as a teaser for what’s to come. This is an exception, as Damaged Good’s self-titled, self-released demo is definitely worth a listen. They’re a two-piece powerviolence/hardcore band from New Jersey, both members are still in high school. Dante Fotino does the vocals and drums, while Matt Morgatini covers backing vocals, guitar, and bass duties.
The demo starts off with a chilling noise, accompanied by feedback and a creepy sample from the movie Hellraiser. This leads into the first track entitled “Necessary Violence.” Here we get a glimpse into the varied style of Damaged Goods. Furiously fast drumming and a speedy chord progression lead to a catchy, punky chorus. Dante’s vocals also vary from near incomprehensible shouting into Matt's almost melodic style here. Before you know it, the song is over as this 1:11 cut is actually the second longest on the demo.
Next up is “Retrospect.” This is the darkest and heaviest song on the demo; the main riff is vamping on a diminished chord and the drop-D tuning is used very well here. Again, the drum work is great; the fill that opens the track is one of the best on the demo. The breakdown is my favorite of any of the tracks as well. Lyrically, it’s exactly what the title is, retrospective. There’s nothing too complicated lyrically in this demo; it’s just straight to the point, how it should be.
A quick glance at the lyrics on “My Beliefs” makes it obvious that these beliefs are beliefs in a straight edge lifestyle-“You are what you smoke and that dope is trash, get a life it’s just a waste of cash.” On this track was where I realized that they really have the ability to vary each song, even if they’re around 40 seconds each. This is a unique quality to have, as a few other grindcore or powerviolence bands I’ve listened to have songs that either all sound the same or don’t really catch my ear to give it a second listen. It’s quite the contrary on this demo. The first 16 seconds are intensely fast, but the last 27 seconds transition nicely into a groovy breakdown that gets progressively slower, which ends the song.
“Super Bunny & Wonder Kitty” would have to be my least favorite cut on the demo. To be fair, the first 14 seconds are my least favorite part of the demo, which isn’t a huge deal. It sounds reminiscent of the main riff from “My Beliefs” a little too much for me. However, the groovy break in the song which leads the song out was enjoyable.
Finishing up this demo is “J.C.E.” Arguably the most personal track, the lyrics are filled with spite, clearly directed towards whoever has these initials. Relentless blast beats accompany another dark and memorable riff. This goes into another well-placed, well-paced breakdown. The breakdown fades out to the same creepy noise that opened “Necessary Violence,” making the demo seem like it was one conscious flow, rather than 5 separate tracks.
Clocking in at just under 4 minutes, this debut shows promising potential. The recording quality is very good-there’s by no means too much polish, but it also doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a tin can (fun fact-it was recorded by I Am The Avalanche drummer Brett “Ratt” Romnes). The guitar tones are crunchy but still warm, and the bass is punchy but not overly-distorted. Drum-wise, everything sounds great, although I would’ve enjoyed hearing the bass drum a little more. But I’m getting incredibly nit-picky here; hopefully my synopsis of the mere downsides doesn’t deter anyone from checking this album out. It’s an incredibly abrasive, short, yet memorable outing that will leave any extreme music fan excited for the future of this incredibly young band.
Today it was announced that the demo will be put out on Ride The Fury Records on cassette, so you should be able to support
Staff Rating
4.50/5
User Rating
3/5
