Band : Endemy

Album title : Endemy

Label : Own release

Distributor : Own release

Release date : 2008

Release : 5-track cd-R demo

The town of Hawthorne, California is generally known to the "locals" as "The South Bay". It's here that, in August 2004, the five members of Endemy [singer Maynard Malilay, lead/ rhythm guitarists Emilio Alvarez and Michael Molina, bassist Jose Jimenez, and drummer Edwin Mercado]got together in August of 2004.

The guitarists and Malilay (then keyboardist) had previously formed Coma in 2002, but this line-up split when the latter decided to concentrate on getting his Bachelors Degree. The 2 axemen continued their search for suitable members, and recruited Jimenez in 2003. In 2004 Mercado joined, and Malilay returned after some vocal training as the band's frontman. Molina then left for personal reasons. Longtime friend Kevin Langley stepping in on second guitar, but after a solid year of performing and recording demoes, tensions were rising between the latter and the rest of the band, and they were forced to part ways. However, Molina returned a couple of months later, and the band claims to have been strong ever since.

Endemy did their first show at LA's Whisky A-Go-Go, and have since returned to that very place to suppport DevilDriver, DeathByStereo, and Diecast to name but the most important. The band is looking to expand their gigging calendar outside the confines of Calfornia, and has high hopes to bring their music worldwide through CD distribution, digital downloads, and live performances...but then, don't àll young (average age of the band is 23) wannabees? For the time being Endemy is performing weekly at everything from backyard shows to full blown venues on Sunset Boulevard. Along the way, they got their song "Dream Curse" included to the Downtown Metal Vol.2   compilation CD, issued by Quickstar Productions, and they've recorded yet another demo EP with Tom Decker and MikeSarkisyan (formerly of Spineshank), plus Jeff Hannan (of YMAStudios). Having established a friendship with the threesome, the band intends to continue working with 'em!

Musically, the band claims to be influenced by such greats as In Flames, Machine Head, and The Deftones...which is quite possible, but they still have some way to go before they can stand their own in the presence of those people. Instrumentally, the boys indeed play a blend of Thrash and Death Metal, and although the tunes contain a certain catchiness, it hasn't got that super-melodic quality yet which is so caracteristic for the influencial bands named. Still, in my opinion the fivesome is well under way of greater things! However, Malilay's voice has a sharp and somewhat monotone side to it. Actually, for the most part (because there's a few rare moments when vocals are done in a different mode) he sounds like a pig at the slaughter when it feels the knife cut through its throat. Personally, I've found the vocal aspect of the music a hard thing to get used to, and God knows I tried, because I gave the 5 tracks a plenitude of listening sessions over the last week...and I'm afraid many fans of the genre will shove this band aside for just the same reason. Then again, that weird singing style may just be up your alley, dear reader, so by all means try it out for yourself by   surfing to myspace.com/endemy, where you'll find no less than 4 songs off the demo, one in an earlier version off a 2006 demo, off which two more tracks can be heard (and a promo video, which I didn't have the opportunity to check). Ending on a positive note, Quickstar Productions will release a new compilation during Summer 2008, on which you'll find the new demo's tracks "Betrayed Amongst The Twelve" and "Abstract Ending".

Push comes to shove, this demo doés show promise, even if some improvement in the vocal department would be welcome. Chuck pros against cons, and that still leaves the band with the agreable rating of...

80/100

Tony.