Guillotined - Demo 2013

I am very pleased to be writing about yet another unsurprisingly promising group from the Philippines.  Guillotined are a Brutal Death Metal band that has been around for a few years now.  They released a full length in 2010 entitled "Souls Eternally Devoured," a decent debut that contained an equal mix of super technical guitar parts and heavy, chugging, memorable slower riffs.  That album, for whatever reason, seemed to go unnoticed by many.  It is a rather impressive release considering it is only two guys; AC Estandian on guitars and drum programming and Bin Bautista on Vocals.  The bands first material was actually on a 2008 Demo.  At the time, they went by the name Uteral Regurgity.  I kind of wish they would've kept the name!  With only one remaining member of that band, I guess a new name was in order.  If you are a new fan of Guillotined, check out their first full length as well as this three song 2013 demo I am about to talk about.

Since then, the band has lost one member and added three new ones.  AC Estandian, also in the band Anal Fissure, stands strong as the only remaining original member of Guillotined.  If you like the guitar riffs on this demo, and you will, then you've him to thank.  This demo premiers a brand new vocalist, drummer, and bassist.  No wonder things sound a little different!
It is safe to say that the addition of vocalist Myke Pardo has greatly improved the bands range of dynamics, something they struggled with before.  Also the drummer for Anal Fissure, Myke Pardo is apparently a man of many talents.  Choppy, accurately placed, and much lower gutturals give these three tracks a rawness that Guillotined adopt very well.  Guitarist AC Estandian provides his usual brand of stop and go palm muted riffs, only at a slower pace than "Souls Eternally Devoured" had us accustomed to.  Things are not presented in a neatly wrapped package but rather laid out before the listener as a raw sample of what is to come.  That being said, I think there will be some very good things to come from the band's new and improved line up.  The debut of the band's first human drummer, Em Lozano (Discreate), is a very effective one.  He brings these recordings alive with his blasts and oddly timed fills.  Red Mendoza is the bassist on this demo.  Unfortunately, his low-end thickening is thwarted by the production.  The mixing here sends the listener on a scavenger hunt for any bass guitar at all.
At under twelve minutes, this demo is a very quick listen.   A listen that effectively leaves you hanging and hoping for more.  Soon.   Not to worry, Guillotined is currently working on their second full length album, hoping to have it released by the first quarter of year 2014.

GUILLOTINED