DAYMARES 'Can’t Get Us All' (Self Made God Records) RATING: 7.5/10

By RYAN MAVITY

You can tell by listening to Daymares debut record, Can’t Get Us All, that this is a pretty new band. Judging by their bio, which says the band formed in winter 2006, they must have been signed after two shows. While those first two sentences may sound like I’m ragging on the band, believe it or not, the raw sound is a point in Daymares’ favor. The surprise isn’t the quickness that they have been signed and recorded an album, but the fact that they’re pretty good.

Daymares’ sound could best be described as the grinding guitars and raspy vocals of Meshuggah but with shorter, punk-influenced songs. The best example of this is the rampaging “Suicide Watch,” which is heavily influenced by both hardcore punk and death metal, sort of like Hatebreed. The song structures are tight and the underproduced sound suits the band well. Guitarist Marcin can pull of some pummeling riffs and the band can work itself into a cool thrash metal rampage like on “Key Witness.” There’s even a cowbell and a little bit of a glam metal influence on “I Shit You Not.” “Cult Leader” has a Motorhead feel to it. The closing track, “iContact,” is on the avant-garde style with its sludgy tempo and long-running time.

The band finds its way as the record goes along. The first couple tracks feel like early works that don’t quite find Daymares in top form. But as things go along, you can see them find a comfort level and start to deliver some decent songs. If you dig hardcore punk bands like Hatebreed or a band like Meshuggah, Daymares may prove to be a cool find. Despite their newness, they are an intriguing new force in the world of punk and metal.