SJUK - "Wolf is Coming" (Demo 2009)
Folk Thrash Death Metal - France
Available for Free Download
The term "sjuk" comes from Swedish and means "ill", and strange enough Sjuk is not a Swedish band, but it comes from France. Well, the Scandinavian influence is overall nowadays so noone can blame them for choosing this orientation.
From what I could gather grom the net it seems Sjuk was formed in 2007 as a one-man project but it became a full line-up (quartet) band in 2009 and now the guys behind this name are: Sjuk (founder), Ulwarg, Willamatainen and Luonnonvaraisten. "Wolf is Coming" is their first offering, a 4 tracks demo that presents us a band who's strongly influenced by both the Thrash Death Metal scene and the Folk Metal movement. I would say their mix inhere is quite interesting but only gives us a good hint on how they would like their band to sound. I hope this is not their actual sound as it is synthetic to the bone, I couldn't even say which parts are computer generated and which ones are made on real instruments... Anyway, the atmosphere is there, their compositions are melodic and aggressive at the same time and they even give the listener that epic, warrior-like feeling, but the sound ruins it all. It starts with an instrumental melodic instrumental intro on which the only things I like are some guitar leads and the groove-filled drum rhythms. The second track introduces the traditional instruments as accordion, bagpipe or flute (but again I don't know if they are real instruments or computer generated), and also some very good, comprehensive enough vocals that if polished a bit could be top-notch. The third track has an awful sounding keyboard (to read amatourish sounding), but the guitar work is very good, Thrash / Death low tuned guitar riffs, and also the drums are reaching their groovies point on this release. "Wolf is Coming" is ended by the most brutal track on it that, strange enough (again), starts up with the most calm part on this demo.
After some listens I could say I'm not annoied by Sjuk's music and I'm waiting for them to record and release their debut album this year (or at least that's hwta they say on their website). The potential is there, they only need to change instruments.
Kaan
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