EP Review: "Captive" by Dead Register

Captive

Atlanta, GA's Dead Register is back with their follow up to 2016's Fiber.

The sophomore effort is an EP instead of a full length album, which a good choice if you ask this blogger. Too many times bands have taken their whole lives to write an amazing debut, only to fall short on the next one.

The second album is a great time to begin your shift, if one happens to be coming.

Dead Register shows a good deal of growth on this record, but without losing any of that gothic flavor we've all come to know an love from them.

The structure of the songs remains rather familiar. The timbre of M R Chvasta's voice hasn't gone off into metalcore pastures (either dirty or clean). Neither Avril Che nor new drummer Danny Ryann doing anything that would put lovers of Fiber off, but listen carefully and you'll hear the difference.

They were able to use the same pieces, colors, and textures in a new way that creates the effect of casual strangeness. It feels like home, but not quite your home.

This release is like sleeping at your long lost cousin's house. It feels familiar, but it's just a tick different.

Release: 11/2/18 AVR Records Goth Metal Bandcamp Facebook

Album Review: "Fiber" by Dead Register

Fiber

Many years ago, a friend of mine told me something about record labels that never occurred to me.

Record Labels are basically banks. They finance your album and then you pay them back with interest. If your album's a hit, they make money.

If it's a dud, they kick you to the curb. Now, of course that's a pretty broad brush to paint with and I'm certain my favorite labels, you know who you are, aren't like that at all.

Consider 2016 and what Spose said about dealing with a major label was like. The scene at the end of That Thing You Do where Tom Hanks's Mr. White tells Jimmy just the record industry is all about is also a pretty powerful moment.

In 2016 though, a record label isn't needed like it once was.There have been a great many bands to have become successful being their own label. What makes it great is that when an artist is in control of their art, it's pure, in theory.