Starve “Demo MMX”

Starve is a new group from The Netherlands formed by soon-to-be-ex-members of vegan straightedge band Eye of Judgement (who's calling it quits in another month or two), and their first outing, "Demo MMX", includes four songs that head in an entirely different direction. The snarling vocals are the only truly comparable element, as the music here consists of rugged sludge loaded with gritty rhythms and dirty pulses of bass alongside subtly rocked out riffs with just a little bit of that southern-tinged edge. But then there's also the wicked midpaced dissonance of closer "Einzelgänger", which almost has a little bit of an abstract noise rock vibe happening, so I'd love to hear that direction further explored as well! They don't really venture too far into that whole "rock" niche, though, so don't expect fuzzy lead breaks or extensive dual guitar runs. And that's fine with me, as their current balance kicks up the energy a bit while still keeping things dark 'n' dingy enough to be a good match for the overall tone of the lyrical content—which hangs on to some of the (perhaps less direct) concepts they touched upon with Eye of Judgement. Here's one song to give you an idea of what's going on:

Starve "Stuck"

Every day you do nothing, it is a choice you make. Every day you change nothing, it is a choice you make. Slave to the everyday grind, slave to a stereotype that was force-fed upon you from the day that you were born. Stuck in a slur of emotions. Too scared to change, too depressed to stay. Stuck in a slur of emotions. Hiding, hiding, hiding away...

[DOWNLOAD] Starve "Demo MMX" (@ MediaFire)