Anyone who was on MySpace around the year 2005 was probably introduced to Job For A Cowboy at one point and time. I’ll never forget just how quickly their hype spread over the Internet, and how short of a time it was before they were signed with Metal Blade. Having that much hype for any band gives you a fair share of lovers and haters, especially since they started out as a pretty generic deathcore band with pig squeals. But with three albums out now, it’s time to see if they’re still living up to hype.
Anyone who hasn’t followed Job For A Cowboy since their MySpace days probably won’t be able to recognize them anymore. By now, they’ve successfully shed away their deathcore origins and have gone for a mostly-death metal sound. It’s not wholly death metal, but also with a bit of tech involved. When they came out with Genesis in 2007, they’ve been gradually evolving and developing into this sound, and it comes into its prime on Demonocracy. It’s a pretty brutal punch in the throat as soon as you start playing the first song. Jon “The Charn” Rice’s drumming perfectly matches and compliments the swift guitar playing of Al Glassman (formerly of Despised Icon) and Tony Sannicandro. Oh, and we can’t overlook the recent addition of Nick Schendzielos from Cephalic Carnage; that’s certainly not going to hurt them in the future at all. The guitar work is impressive to begin with, but having The Charn following it right on cue just makes the experience that much more intense. In fact, “Fearmonger” even has a small solo section for The Charn. It’s not the longest drum solo ever heard, but it’s not like every death metal album has a drum solo section. We can’t forget Johnny Davy either, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite metal vocalists. His growls seem to just get grittier and his shrieks more venomous with every release. You can really feel each of the energies band members bring to the overall picture, and feel how they fuse together to create great metal. But sometimes, it can be a little too much and can sometimes venture into the monotonous, but songs like “Black Discharge” and “Tarnished Gluttony” help to break it up just a little bit.
Overall, Demonocracy was a great album. I’d say that deathcore is way in their past now, and that this is the Job For A Cowboy we’re going to be listening to for a while. They probably now have their fanbase in original deathcore crowd and with death metal fans alike with the way they’ve progressed, which can only mean good things in their future. And if this is truly the sound they’re going to stick with from here on out, then I can’t wait for the coming future.
8.5/10
Favorite Songs: “Children Of Deceit”, “Nourishment Through Bloodshed”, “Fearmonger”.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1luhE5V_e6Q[/youtube]
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