Substance
Life in You Demo

I’m always wary of songs that start quietly since cranking up a CD and blowing up a friend’s amp many moons ago. So, after popping in this one track CD into my player, I resist the temptation to hit the volume as the track starts off with a gentle bass intro and a ‘ring a ting’ of cymbals and drums that would sound at home on an easy listening compilation.

Thirty seconds later and a menacing scream hits the ears, guitars come crashing in and the true Substance sound comes through the still intact speakers. With an impressively heavy riff, this cleverly crafted song holds the attention with it’s rhythmic groove and contrasting vocal styles which range from an extreme metal growl to a clearer spoken vocal. Thankfully for the nation’s dancefloors, the mid-section of the song drops the pace down and allows the listener time to catch their breath before the song builds back into a high tempo finish.

While it’s difficult to judge a band on one song, this is a well prepared aperitif and if Substance can continue to construct songs as good as this then they’ll be one to watch out for.