The Apostacy - Demo By Steve Rudd

What to expect from a band that opens up a demo with a song entitled Asparagus? Well, this slick rock-loving trio are no way as boring as asparagus, with such a tune in fact having roots in blazing Funk-Metal folds, as front man Shaun Garner sings and plays guitar as though System Of A Down are his favourite God-damned rock band since time began. Yeah, these guys do sound remarkably like the SOAD boys, and this can only be a good thing.

So much so that when their Bavarian Waltz eases its way down the ear canal, it's impossible to believe that it's still the same band playing the music that you're now listening to, for this tune is the last thing that you'd expect to follow the hard-rocking brilliance of Asparagus.

Amazingly, Bavarian Waltz is creamed with authenticity and does genuinely sound like a Bavarian Waltz... suddenly from any likeness to the music of SOAD. Still, Shaun does spew forth some amazingly surreal and bemusing lyrics such as, If the morning comes we'll eat my eggs for breakfast, which is decidedly strange but nice all the same.

Incidentally, Shaun and the band do take the art of lyric-writing extremely seriously, declaring that great music demands great lyrics. So, while some of the lyrics might sound a little abstract and silly, the lyrics that are more socio-politically influenced are poetically clever and have immense impact.

They're based around Leicester, and should you like the sound of The Apostacy then you're in luck - for they've already recorded a 14-track album that's just gagging to be tracked down and heartily devoured. www.theapostacy.net E-mail: shaungarner@theapostacy.net

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