Concrete Sleep is another in a long line of early death metal bands that released only one demo before splitting up. They formed in 1990 under the name Formicide but changed their name to Concrete Sleep a year later. A year after that, they released their only demo, As I Fly Away. They broke up shortly thereafter. What drew me to this demo was the cover. It's quite unorthodox. Instead of the usual depictions of Satan, violence and death, this album cover shows a hand reaching up to the sky. I really hope this demo is as good as the cover.
The production is pretty rough, but I can still make out everything fine. It's nowhere near as bad as some other demos I've listened to. As for the music itself, it leans more on the death/thrash side. The drums play your typical mid-paced rhythms and blast beats as well as plenty of double bass. They also make sure to throw in some articulate fills to spice things up.
The vocals consist of an extremely harsh yell. Some people may feel that it doesn't belong, but I still think they're performed really well. I'd rather have some great, aggressive yells than some half-assed growls. Best of all are the guitars. The riffs combine the violent nature of death metal with the infectious structure of thrash metal. They have a really crunchy sound to them and they exhibit a wide range of influences ranging from Slayer to Morbid Angel. Of course, my favorite parts are the solos. They range from slow gliding affairs with a Middle Eastern vibe to wild screeching assaults. They also include a few clean guitars that further enhance the atmosphere.
Although this demo isn't as dreamy as its cover implies, it's still an awesome offering. I especially love the aggressive yells and the awesome guitar work. As I Fly Away is a great obscure gem and is sure to please both death metal fans and thrash metal fans.
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