sounds cool by Feature 981, Denver, CO
i like the guitar tone..and little harmonic...the mix is decent i wish it was a little cleaner...a little less bass maybe...overall a decent track for sure...

nice guitar work by southern cult Port Arthur, TX
the sounds of this production are not up to par. but the song is moving. work more on melody with the music and it would improve your sound.

Quality by SuperSlinky, Madison Heights, MI
Nice hook right off the bat! The music is perfect although I would work on the mix but who know, that could be the realplayer I'm listening to it through. The guitars are tough and the mood is intense. Like it a lot, just wish it was better quality! Good job.

Metal. by Angermusic, Erie, Penn.
Guitars are great. The mix is a good mix. The mood of the song is nice

Okay everybody heres a doozy for you.  This is a band that I find hard to review because there music appeals to my sense of old school and just when I think they are doing nothing special I get reminded that it takes talent to create music like this because I get slapped suddenly with a sense of modern metal. I guess I should just explain myself better because the reality is that I love this band and what they are doing for the heavy metal scene.

Verbal Narcotic is a five piece band that hails from the Show Me state of Missouri and they are without doubt all set to show the world just how good and refreshing true heavy metal is.  There music has a strange twist of old school heavy metal and a hint of modern metal. They bill themselves as Gothic Metal for the Masses but I think it should just read Heavy Metal for the Masses.  As I listened to the demo Cd I was sent which I should point out sports 7 songs from 2 seperate albums I found myself really getting into the music and the reason why I think is because this band seems to make a consious effort to make there music different, track for track.  What I mean is that although you can hear some similarities most of the songs sound pretty much different from each other.  Each track offered a unique sound that breaks down something like this:

Track 1, Be- They don't mess around when they send out there demos.  According to the label, Be is a song from the Blind Aggression album and kicks off this demo in high gear.  The intro I thought was kind of flaky with a single guitar whining out a couple bars before the rest of the band kicks in, swells into a definite old school riff and then bombards you with the vocalists very powerful pipes.  The vocals rip through a couple lines then drop to an awesome guttaral growl that is completely unexpected after hearing the first half of the vocals.  As the guttaral growl comes to an end, a perfectly timed lead guitar slides in on top of a heavy crunch supplied by the rhythm and bass section of the band.  I think the drums could be a little heavier at this point, or maybe a little double bass would sound good, but they are steady.  The lead sears and drops off as the song kicks back into the verse, which again, is old school, aggressive, and catchy.  All in all, this song rocked hard, making me turn my stereo up another notch and looking forward to the next song.  I give this song a very high 8 out of 10 Danny bombs.

Track 2, Gladiator-  Killer song intro, and theres those powerful vocals again.  This song is hard to explain since the vocals ride over an enormous wave of sound provided by the guitar section of the band, and the guitars are well done, seeming to switch back and forth on a sharp harmonic through the verse.  I think that the production on this song is maybe mixed a little poorly because in places, the music over rides the vocals, and the drums are so far in the background as to make them insubstantial.  I think overall the song itself is a good one, its aggressive and intense.  I give the song a 6 out of 10 Danny bombs.

Track 3, Phobia-This one is my favorite on the disk.  It kicks off with a heavy intense angry sound that had me standing playing air guitar.  The vocals were a little different in this one but still powerful.  I think the vocalist appeals to me very much because he has this scratchy raspy quality that is addictive.  The lyrics in this song are about a black hearted bitch and apparently she ruins this guys life but he takes it back by killing her in a fit of rage.  I can relate.  After 3 marriages I've felt like this song many times and this song definitely carries an aggressive quality to it that is not matched anywhere.  Phobia gets a score of 9 Danny bombs.

Track 4, The Only- This song  is completely different than anything else I've heard so far.  I was kind of disappointed with the lead-in because the band seems to be out of time but they recover quickly and launch into what seems to be basically a repeating riff.  The vocals kick in and another surprise as they are completely different than any of the other vocals I've heard so far.  They seem to lose a little bit when the song rams into the chorus and his voice goes flat for a sec.  But the unique thing here is that the entire chorus part is sung without taking a breath and without stopping. Impressive even if the voice falls a little flat and I know because I tried to mimic it but these dam cigarettes must be taking there toll.  My only complaint with this song is that its too short. I give this song 6 Danny bombs.

Track 5, Lost Soul- If I have to pick one that I didn't like on this album this song would be it though the vocalist does a good job of trying to save it with that gravelly voice of his.  And its not that this song is bad but its way too repetitive and played too far up on the register.  It could use a pause or two and maybe a tempo change at some point.  But the guitars playing seperate octaves was a cool touch and I would have to believe that this song would be ideal as a pit song when played live. I give this one 3 Danny bombs.

Track 6, Downfall- Oh hell yes. After hearing Lost Soul I was a little bit shaken and not sure if I even wanted to hear the last two songs assuming that the band put there good songs first.  But that isn't the case here and they come through again shining bright with this good old school sounding jam.  This song is heavy brutal and deliberate and the bass player takes a bit of advantage here in a couple of different places in the song performing some kick ass and perfectly timed walks and highlights.  The song sports some awesome growls and that force of nature of a vocalist rises to the occasion again here blasting my head off with the rage that you can hear in his voice.  I particularly liked the many stops that this song had but I think they could have been a bit cleaner you can hear one of the guitars humming through the stops every time but the rest of the band is right on the money.  I really like the vocal fluctuations in this song, and for what it's worth, I expect to see this song on some charts someday. I give this one 8 Danny bombs.

Track 7, World of Corruption- Okay this song is obviously a title track from the bands first album.  I'm not really sure how to review this song since it takes a departure from their usual sound.  This song is almost alternative mainstream sounding and intros with a tribute to 9/11 which is what this song is about I think.  It talks about running for your life, and giving up your soul through the chorus so I'm sure the point is a given.  I very much liked the slow deliberate pace of this song and the gentle build up for the chorus.  Nice way to end the disk.  I give this song 6 Danny bombs.

Summary: If you like that old school heavy metal flavor this band is what you've been waiting for.  If you like to hear very deliberate and crunchy metal this band is for you.  I would buy any album that this band puts out and so should you.  This is a refreshing departure from the screamo bands that all sound alike today and this band for sure takes it back to basics remembering that the things that are usually the best are usually the most simple.  Verbal Narcotic will someday be a force to be reckoned with on the metal scene and I really enjoyed doing this review and will keep this disk in my collection to enjoy over and over.

Review by: 3 Headed Reviewer 03/05/04

Track listing:

1.Hypocrite

2.Be

3.Unscraped

4.Gladiator

5.The Only

6.Phobia

7.Downfall

8.Lost Soul

9.World of Corruption

As Tatt, of Verbal Narcotic, told me this cd is a collection of new and older recordings. So I’m not sure of how many copies are out there. One thing is for sure, if you have one, you’re damn glad you do. Right from the get-go, you feel the Narcotic enter your veins. The beginning of Hypocrite is slower, dark, and gives you the feeling that some unstoppable evil is surrounding you. Then, as the song kicks in, you realize there’s no escaping. Soon, Verbal Narcotic’s very unique style of metal shakes and shatters the very foundation upon which you sit. And the attack doesn’t end there. Steady, pounding drumbeats drive these songs with riffs that demand to be heard, and bass lines that keep up the momentum and really bring the thunder. Solos that truly express the urgency and danger of the songs really color the Verbal Narcotic canvas. Shaun’s vocal styles ranges go from a quiet warning to an all out call to war. Each song is full of fist raising riffing and tons of harmonic bends that squeal out of the sea of lows. These guys rock it like Motorhead and also bring you to the dark side like Grave. Not enough can be said of how cool these guys are too. They’re truly metal brothers and they’ll meet their end fighting for the metal they believe in. If a steady, head banging metal is what you crave, it looks like you’ve found your addiction, and it’s name is Verbal Narcotic