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Reviews
DECEMBER Reviews Original Review from Vampire Magazine, Oct 15th 2007 (Alex Jerjomkin) When you’re talking about melodic death/black
metal you can make two groups. There is this some kind of don’t-worry-be-happy-
and a more pessimistic group. Unfortunately for those who seek darkness,
For Ruin belongs to the first one. The responsible aspects for that
are the guitars. Imagine Amon Amarth played by Children of Bodom
with Death (latest era) somewhere in the background. More obvious
comparison would be (old) Amorphis with a strong dose of black metal.
But I think you get the idea, “December” is build upon
easy-to-listen melodies which kind of lighten up the mood. You can
listen to this daily. Not because it’s so addictive, but because
it doesn’t demand too much attention. If it wasn’t for
the vocals, this would be labeled as melodic metal and nothing more.
There is of course some fast drumming, but it’s mostly the
guitars that stand out because of their simplicity and catchiness.
And that is For Ruin's strongest point. ______________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Zero Tolerance Magazine, Sept 2007 Hopes were high for this album after Cork-based
For Ruin's last, hugely impressive demo, Obsidian and mostly, it
does not disappoint. The band's instantly recognisable sound, built
on extremely melodic, soaring guitars and rasping vocals (think
BM meets Swansong-era Carcass) is unchanged, and some of the songs
here ('Towards An End' for example) surpass the already high standard
the band had set for itself. What stops this from being truly outstanding,
sadly, is that the production lacks depth, and so after a while
the trebly sound begins to grate. Nevertheless, an excellent debut. Original Review from Unbound Zine, Sept 22nd 2007 There was a time when blackened melodic death metal was quite common. Remember the days when No Fashion Records where still releasing albums? You had extremely melodic bands with harsh vocals that rode the line in between black metal and death metal. For Ruin is a band that definitely would have fit on the No Fashion roster with their melodic yet harsh approach to metal. When I call this band melodic Im not kidding around, each riff is built on melodic guitar lines. The riffs may be fast but there is always underlying melody. This is the type of band that breaks into twin guitar leads at any given point within a song and it just works. You can tell that the band took the time to craft the songs instead of just writing 10 riffs and calling it a song. There are layers of guitars each one playing something just a bit different. But what really makes the album work is that the band doesnt try to make the riffs complicated. They are extremely catchy and to the point without being overly simplified. The production is a big letdown in my opinion. Granted this isnt released by a big label, but with a sharper production and a bit more clarity in the guitars the album could have had a bit more oomph. There is no denying that these are good songs, but put someone like Dan Swano behind the boards for the band and youd have a fucking masterpiece on your hands. For a debut album this is an album that reeks of class and professionalism. The production doesnt really do the band justice, but if this album doesnt get a bigger label interested in the band then there is definitely something wrong. If you enjoy Rotting Christ, Naglfar, or even Dark Tranquility, For Ruins brand of melodic metal should be well worth your time. ______________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Live4metal.com, Sept 6th 2007 Just every now and then, the Live4Metal management spoils me and sends me discs that I've been looking forward to for a very long time. Now For Ruin and I have a history together: they were one of the first bands that I ever reviewed for this august organ, and a band that has produced nothing other than brilliant music with every release. To say that this was a disc that I had lusted after would be like saying that I would “quite like to” have a “chat” with Rachel Weisz. Now the shiny little Cd sits in my player, and try as I might, I can't bring myself to remove it. It is, in a single utterance, “essential”. Now with a steady line up, the hardest working man in the emerald isle, John Murphy, has created an absolute classic of an album. If you haven't heard For Ruin before, (and if not, then hang your head in shame, young reader! I have told you to before!), then you're in for a double treat. This is magnificent, cerebral and emotional metal. Now I know you've just seen the “E” word and you're thinking about crying goths and be-hooded fringe wearers weeping and sobbing into their respective lacy handkerchiefs and day-glo flannels, but this is more in line with the classic emotional metal bands. Think a mix of the intricate guitars of “Shades of God” era Paradise Lost, mix in the maudlin of prime Katatonia, garnish with Celtic flourishes that wouldn't sound out of place on the stronger Cruachan releases, and you're still only half way there. If only melodic death metal wasn't such a misused and by now vapid term, I'd use it to properly describe what makes For Ruin so special. The guitars are both aggressive, weighty and slice through the air like flashing blades. They seem to weave magical, mystical melody lines with seeming ease, and the drums, played with more taste and flair than many bands who seem to content to blast rather than play, provide the most steady backing that I have heard in many a month. The bass is a constant steady influence, underpinning those moments of melancholia that meld with the sinister and occult air, as with the frankly stunning “Demon”. It is perhaps the title track that does most to truly exemplify the For Ruin sound. Twin guitar harmonies that are laced with an inherent sadness are pounded by drum lines as if by waves crashing against the cliffs on some gloom ridden night. Once the main galloping riff comes a-clattering, if you don't have some supremely melodramatic nocturnal image in your head, I'm fairly sure that you must be dead. The coarse but still eminently decipherable deathly vocals manage to evoke the very best memories of the early nineties while still having a contemporary edge to them. While the production is clear and uncluttered, I would like to have heard slightly more low edge “grunt”, and at some moments the drum sound was a little hollow. There are, in the grand scheme of things rather inconsequential complaints over what I think is the best Irish release since the sublime “The Gathering Wilderness”. You need this. I need you to know that. www.forruin.com Original Review from MetalIreland.com, August 17th 2007 For Ruin were always going to flourish. Right from the first time Metalireland heard them in 2004 - as a one man studio project, splitting a tiny demo - it was clear that something truly special was afoot. In the intervening years they've become one of the most capable and musically respected bands in Ireland. Sentinel records, spying quality, picked them up. Now we have the fruits of their labour - a full on, ten track album. A lot of heavy metal just got boring in comparison: Metalireland explains why. John Murphy is a damn hard worker. Well versed in the music he loves, he’s also a brilliant metal songwriter. Combine the two, and you get an album like this – an album whose capability and surpassing cool is no surprise in the slightest. Few, if any underground bands in Ireland at the moment, have quite his ear for quality control. That’s what makes the difference between what’s good and what merely takes up space. And believe me: sat beside this little gem, that's probably all you're doing. ‘December’ could hardly have been crap. Not with this band’s talent. Barry ' I´ll Eat Your Face ' English (link) excels even his own drumming standards on this cd, giving the rest of the band the confidence to push themselves. The guitars literally spoil you. Not one song outstays its welcome, while each contain enough variety and atmosphere to earn their place. It’s a grace that’s getting rarer and rarer, and it's been apparent since the start. You’ve presumably heard the awesome demo from which most of this material sprang. This album is that same great mix of Death, Rotting Christ, early Katatonia and the eternal lifebreath of the metal classics, but performed better, and in most cases a little faster. Pretty exhilarating, in other words. Highlights are hard to pick out given the high standards of absolutely everything, but my money is on the beautiful ‘Starling’ for a slow burning standout hit. Old chestnuts ‘Into Red’ and ‘Wake’ however still slay, and their performance on here has the kind of crisp intuition that most bands here won’t ever achieve. It is brilliant. At the same time though, it’s a scintilla off being perfect, because the production is audibly a home effort. There is no bass, and a swift remix could well be advised for subsequent print runs – performances captured this good need, deserve, nay fucking scream to be heard at their fullest heavy metal best. Ditto the art. It doesn’t do justice at all to the colour and vivacity of this scorching metal. It wont turn heads, which is exactly now the task ahead of them. Both of these however are quibbles when dealing with such authentic, proper metal. We reminisce constantly about the mid nineties European underground. Yet here it is, caught and bottled by the guys who seem to breathe it. The twining of the leadlines, all drawn from Lizzy and Maiden, the heady dark metal atmospheres and that subtle hint of classic celtic metal it’s laced with, make it an essential purchase. There have been some truly great Irish metal releases these last five years, some that really deserved the world’s ear. Lunar Gate needed the band. Scavenger and Steel Tormentor’s debuts both had their chances, yet dropped the ball. Sol Axis disappeared. They were the only ones close to this. For Ruin now have the chance. ‘December’ confidently excels the muck that passes for metal these days, and its time For Ruin got their due. For the sound, the style and the vigour of the underground at its best, buy this at once.
______________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Voices from the Darkside, August 12th 2007 FOR RUIN This band comes from Cork (Eire) and this is their first full-length. FOR RUIN was at first a one-man band project, but mercifully this developed up to become a proper act with a full line-up. "December" comes out as very good surprise among the legions of bands / projects / solo things that flood the market right now, no thanks to the present Myspace / Youtube / iPod madness. The musical style of the band is rather difficult to pinpoint, or more exactly it is rather difficult to not give a wrong impression while describing it. Let's say that FOR RUIN play a melodic form of Death Metal not that much estranged from what was the norm in Sweden more than ten years ago, but at the same time these Irish know how to sound fresh and original. Each track is based upon melodic riffs repeated numerous times with variations of rhythm; also the band knows how to start a song with a strong intro, a rare talent for sure. The overall is based around melancholia (but not sadness, no despondency in sight here, fortunately). My major criticism is raised by the production which lack depth, the guitar sound too trebly and acidic for comfort; on the other hand though, the drum parts are very natural, human sounding, a nice change from the cybernetic arrangements and studio tricks current these days. While FOR RUIN are an Irish band, don't expect folkloric influences you can find in CRUACHAN or on some PRIMORDIAL material. The band is about melodic Death Metal like I said, and they have found their own niche, but sound less convincing while sounding like too much Gothenburg oriented (like on 'Demon' where they sound much too close of "Reflections" - era CENTINEX) a trap they should avoid next time to come up with a 100% perfect record. For the moment, FOR RUIN deserve all your attention and is a band to watch closely. www.forruin.com and the now usual myspace link should give you extra bits of info. Edouard Vergriete ______________________________________________________________________ Original Review from www.burningblack.net Sept 6th 2007 FOR RUIN – December (Sentinel Records): “December”
is the first full length and latest work of this Irish band formed
in 2003, which after three well received self released works (a
split demo with the Black Metal band Meiche released in 2004, followed
by a second demo called “Shade” and a five songs EP
called “Obsidian”) have finally get signed by the also
Irish label Sentinel Records… The style delivered at this
opus is a highly melodic blend of Black and Death Metal, where the
traditional Heavy Metal styled riffing are the undisputable protagonist,
filling this album with intense and pretty catchy melodies, seconded
by the incredibly raw vocalizations of John Murphy (For Ruin’s
mastermind) with some really infernal shrieks in the finest, crudest
Black Metal vein, delivering the most extreme element of the entire
album and contributing with a healthy dose of originality…
The music moves mostly through fast paced passages where the highly
vibrant atmospheres are improved by the strong drumming of Barry
English, who adds some profundity and complexity, with some remarkable
double bass driven parts. Even when this album moves over a pulsating
base, there some quite melancholic, strangely beautiful movements
here, such the second track “Towards An End” or the
entire closing track “Frailty”, a remarkable, emotive
and somewhat introspective piece of Metal, which perfectly closes
this album. The most of the tracks included at “December”
were previously released at the band’s preceding efforts (and
all seems to be re recorded for this album), only three tracks;
“Towards An End”, “Eyesore” and “Frailty”
can exclusively be found here. The whole album production is pretty
crude, sometimes even live sounding, becoming especially evident
at the drum sound; this organic, still potent sound definitely improves
the whole album atmosphere, moving pretty far away from the most
of the sterile sounding Melodic Death Metal bands as of today…
Fans of early Dark Tranquillity, Centinex or even Dissection should
definitely check this one out… (AP) ______________________________________________________________________
OBSIDIAN Reviews & Interviews ______________________________________________________________________ Original Review from www.ultimatemetal.com - Katalin Sipos, February 24th 2007 Obsidian, For Ruin’s’ third demo, was released last October. It took slightly more than a year for the band to come up with new material after Shade, and also proved a busy period with numerous gigs and an appearance on an unsigned-special CD by Terrorizer. This new demo is again recorded, engineered and performed by John Murphy, and contains five songs; four new ones, and a re-work of ’Treading’, that originally appeared on For Ruin’s first demo. Their style hasn’t changed much although all hints of black metal have disappeared. Instead the band play the kind of mid-paced melodic death metal that is stuffed with heavy emotions, without being melancholic or depressing. But they do not fall into the trap of sounding like dozens of other melodic death metal bands, having a rawer and authentic style. Only John’s vocals remain influenced by black metal in places. The demo kicks off with a two and a half minute long instrumental,’December’ - a melodic, varied piece with an energetic and repetative guitar line. It sets the pace of the album perfectly. Next up, ’Wake’ sounds just like the continuation of ’December’. I really like the homogeniety of their music, but the band manage to never be boring or play the same tunes over and over again. Nice melodies and great pulsating guitar lines are combined with aggression, and the result is dark, powerful music. The only element I think is missing is the Celtic we heard on Shade, but there is slight compensation in ’Treading’ when the mournful sound of a violin appears. Obsidian is definitely a step forward compared
to For Ruin’s previous work, and shows a settled style. Since
this demo came out the band have released a live DVD, signed a record
deal, and - if eveyrthing goes as planned - we will soon have their
first full length album in our hands. Cannot wait! Original Review from www.chroniclesofchaos.com - Pedro Azevedo, Dec 2006 A melodic and energetic instrumental intro kicks off For Ruin's latest demo, and effectively serves as a prelude for what's to come. Now featuring a full line-up, the Irish outfit delivers a considerable expansion and refinement of their past work, while still remaining rooted in what could be generally called melodic extreme metal. The guitar work is quite captivating for a demo, constantly busy and for the most part melodic; it is joined by competent drumming and snarled vocals as the band build interesting and well delivered compositions.
Given a decent studio budget that allows them to eliminate any remaining rough edges, I have little trouble imagining an interesting and competent commercial debut for the band. 4.5/5 _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from www.metalreview.com - Chris Chellis, Dec 2006 This is an interesting release for me because I have had the good fortune of seeing this band grow at an alarming rate. I was first introduced to For Ruin through a split with one of John Murphy’s other projects. For Ruin was by far the more melodic and accomplished of the two, so I was happy to see that Mr. Murphy decided to focus his efforts exclusively on For Ruin. There is an insanely addictive quality to For Ruin that begs for an appropriately verbose description: One that I am certainly not capable of giving, though I will try. Melodic black/death metal doesn’t do the band an ounce of justice. This is the kind of melody that oozes emotion without having to slap you in the face with overwrought lyrical clichés. Simply put, if one were able to listen to death, Obsidian would certainly be a beautiful one. It’s an all too ephemeral excursion to your grave. Normally I loathe “melodic” death metal. Either I have untrained ears or it really does all sound the same. When I heard For Ruin’s songs from that split I found myself pleasantly surprised by the mood and atmosphere within. They had a raw spirit, not unlike an even less polished In Flames circa Lunar Strain. Purely riff-driven with cutting vocals. Harmonies out the ass. Guaranteed to make you break your neck. Since then Murphy enlisted three Irish cohorts to round out a real band and I am proud to say they have managed to one-up themselves again. Murphy and the gang made a wise decision in keeping this EP short. The only real downer sets in near album’s end when you realize you are very close to finishing the best 22 minutes of melodic death metal unleashed in ’06. Some of this is pretty stunning, most notably “Treading ’06”, a nearly 8 minute instrumental that ebbs and flows in gorgeously arranged fashion. Progressive, to say the least. Sure, it’s relatively simple, but simple is a welcome escape from the unnecessarily pretentious one-upmanship of modern melo-death. The remaining three tracks scream harmony from blackened lungs. Though they are not a complete departure from “Treading ’06”, they are certainly punchier. That addictively clean tone is still there, but the vocals really add another dimension to the music. “Wake” is the best of the three, simply because I still can’t get its main riff out of my head after first listening to it over a month ago. That said, they’re all gems. EP opener “December” is a haze of harmony. Smart of ‘em to open with an instrumental, too. The riffs do most of the band’s talking anyway. “Into Red” and “Jaded” are slightly less interesting than the others but the benchmark is high and they are still great songs. I have said it before and I will say it again, For Ruin is a band to watch. Mr. Murphy was clearly encouraged and inspired by positive reviews to the split and the demo that followed, because he has displayed marked improvement since then. If you are sick of overly-polished melodic death for the mall and me-first McDonalds culture then For Ruin is the band for you. _____________________________________________________________________________
For Ruin has been active in the underground for a few years. It started as a one-man-project of the Irishman John Murphy. First we got the split CD with Meiche. Last year a second demo 'Shade' was spread, recorded in Spain where John stayed for his studies. In September 2005 Murphy returned to Ireland with the resolute intention to form a real band, in order to perform the written repertory live. That has happened and critics were positive (even Nemtheanga of Primordial is charmed by the man's creations since the beginning). At the moment For Ruin is made up – except John on vocals and guitars – of Drew Myers (guitar), Barry O'Sullivan (bass) and Barry English (drums). They are currently rehearsing intensively for the upcoming gigs in autumn and winter, when the new material of the third demo will be played as well. 'Obsidian' contains four new tracks and a re-working of the beautiful, atmospheric 'Treading', originally from the first split demo. I always admired the well-considered way of working of John Murphy and this next step on his way to recognition shows a further evolution in a positive way. This time, the material was recorded in his hometown Cork in Ireland. The band has evolved towards more straight black metal, without losing those great melodious guitar melodies (still the cherry on the pie). 'December' is an instrumental with repetitive guitar lines. Vocals in 'Wake' are more or less black metal ruckles, but a brilliant, fast guitar solo can be heard as well. 'Into Red' and 'Jaded' are other fine and raucous black metal songs, never losing track of strong melodies. And still the long, soaring 'Treading' remains an ear-caressing, relax intermezzo in the midst of the rigorous black metal. For Ruin is doing well. It is about time for waking up the labels. _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from www.metalrules.com - Matt, Dec 2006 Hot on the heels of last year’s excellent SHADE demo, melo-death merchants For Ruin continue their all-out assault on the metal world, this time armed with a 5-track E.P. Fronted by Irishman John G. Murphy, For Ruin has gone through some changes since the last time out with 3 new full-time members signing on. I’m sure John is relieved – he recorded and played everything on SHADE! You can immediately hear the improvement in the band’s sound; one-man bands are fine for the misanthropic black metal types, but for full aggression and power, a true band is required. Aggression and power are two apt descriptors of For Ruin’s sound – tempered with the requisite melodic sensibility of course (this is melodic death metal after all!). Even though the band doesn’t stray far from their roots, improvements over previous output are all over OBSIDIAN. For one, John’s writing has tightened up, focusing on maximum impact and eliminating any unnecessary noodling. This makes songs like the forceful “Into Red” absolute scorchers. Playing wise, the band is also tighter than ever, which is amazing considering the relatively short time they’ve been a unit. Finally, the production is greatly improved; clear, yet just grimy enough to avoid sounding like an Abyss-clone. I honestly can’t pick any favorite tracks off this disc – they all kick ass! Catchy riffs and memorable solos are all over these songs that picking a favorite is impossible. Even the two instrumentals (“December” and “Treading ‘06”) are excellent. For Ruin is definitely a band on the rise – check them out. Now! 4.5/5 _____________________________________________________________________________
Original Review from www.live4metal.com - Chris Davison, Nov 2006 For Ruin – Obsidian demo (Self Financed) Ah, the long awaited return of the current gem in the crown of Northern European underground metal. To say I have been looking forward to this is something of an understatement. From their very first split demo, I have thought that this is a band with the capacity to produce some amazing music. While previous releases have been heavy on ideas and skilful in song composition, they have always sounded like a band that has still to come of age…until now, that is.
www.forruin.com Chris Davison _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from MetalIreland.com - Nov 2006 Any Irish scene dweller may well think they’ve heard enough about For Ruin. The truth however is that you’re about to hear a whole lot more. If main man John’s indefatigable efforts on behalf of his solo venture turned powerful live band seem at times tiring, its only because most bands don’t realise what it actually takes to get anywhere. And if ever a band deserved to get anywhere, it is without a shadow of a doubt For Ruin. Promo after promo, review after innumerable review, the groundswell of positivity created by their gut busting work ethic has given them the confidence to pen with clarity and conviction this absolutely brilliant demonstration of what is still possible in metal songwriting. Extreme metal has dullened. It isn’t made any more like it used to be at its creative peak in the mid nineties. The magic of the European underground, the fervour of actually supporting it, the real marriage of theme, idea and music, are things that have been largely quashed under the business of it all. Could you really see a record like ‘HEart Of The Ages’ coming out now? Maybe. But it wouldn’t be the same. For Ruin however are still, mercifully, doing it like it should be done. In a description you’re going to read ten times or more, their mix of old Katatonia, In The Woods, Rotting Christ and the unlikely pinch of Death is simply fucking flawless. And even better than that, these descriptions are largely besides the point. Which is that this is music of feeling. It is metal made because it has to be, and not just because it can. Only after repeated listens does the class of these five tracks really start to take on a life of its own. Though this stuff is memorable from the off, its only with ripening that the overarching quality of it all really sinks in. Listen to ‘Treading 06’, a haunting instrumental track in a style that hasn't been essayed by anyone here since Lunar Gate. This heady, poignant mix of Thin Lizzy’s romance, Anathema’s autumn colours of old (remember ‘Scars Of The Old Stream’), and an irrefutable evocation of windswept Ireland is an exemplary work of metal balladry. Several years ago I wrote of Mourning Beloveth that they succeeded where Cruachan and Waylander didn’t, in that like Primordial, they caught this country’s celtic musicality without recourse to the quaint. So too now have For Ruin, if you’ll pardon me while I wipe the mawksih green from my eyes. This is brilliant, intelligently written metal sounding like it came from a place we’d never get to be again. So much of what is good about it can stay unspoken, because it doesn’t need detailed. 'Obsidian' is just a genuine achievement, full of authenticity and character. It would have been an easy thing to have lobbed this up as album of the month and be smug in championing it. But they’re a smarter band than that, and have wisely held out against a deal just yet. So they’ll have what’s better. They'll have demo of the year. Ciaran Tracey ::: 06/11/06 _____________________________________________________________________________ Interview for Unchained Fanzine - Serbia (Thanks Dusan!) 1. Hails John, thanks for support and tell us about For Ruin. Why did you choose this name for the band? Hey, greetings from Ireland and a happy new year to you all. For Ruin’s first recorded output materialized during late 2003 and early 2004, so I suppose that is the starting point for the band. Before that though, I had played in a variety of local bands, none of which played the type of material I myself was interested in. In my spare time while finishing a PhD I wrote various songs and recorded rough demos of them in my studio, if for no other reason than to keep a record of them – some of the material was worth keeping and For Ruin was born out of that period.
2. So far you have released one live, two demos and a split. So I will start with question, why did you release a split and not a demo, and do you think that split releases are better for promotion of the album? I should clarify this – the Split release with Meiche released in 2004 is a split demo on CD, with each band contributing a number of tracks – it is not a short vinyl release – and is since out of print. The Split was a first outing and was raw and loose compared with subsequent recordings of 2005 and 2006. 3. Now we come to the second release “Shade” a promo CD, and after “Obsidian”. Could you tell me how much did sound change between shade and obsidian and are there new elements that on previous promo? Well first of all, the differences between the Split and “Shade” (2005) were significant. I relocated from Ireland to Valencia, España for a few years and the Shade was recorded there. It was the first FR recording that was reasonably well distributed and reviewed by many international magazines and websites. The production on Shade was a good step up from the Split demo – simply because my abilities as an engineer improved and I had some better equipment to use for the recordings. The songs were better and I re-recorded one song from the Split (Vertigo) and I think the vocal delivery also improved.
4. Also you have released the live DVD. So please tell me why did you release it and are satisfied how that gig came out, and with the sound of the release? What do you think about live audio albums? Wouldn’t you agree that video releases are better? The DVD is the band’s latest release; it has only been available since the first week in January 2007. We were playing in our home city of Cork at a 2 day festival called the Winterfest – a number of bands had their set filmed and we were among them. It is a nice document of the band as it stands at the moment. We are on the rise and I’m sure will look back at the release in the future and see how things have changed. It was not an expensive release for the band to put out and it is limited to a small number of copies at a cheap price (10€). It may be a collector’s item in the future!
5. How does For Ruin affect people? What is your message to the masses? At the moment we are a growing band in a healthy national and international scene. I don’t think we can yet claim to “affect” people in any significant way. For now we are happy if people enjoy the music and come and support and enjoy the live shows. There is no dark underlying message (religious, political or otherwise) in our music. It is simply extreme music with melody for the sake of music. For Ruin was voted the 9th best unsigned band of 2006 by the Terrorizer reader’s poll, so we must be doing something right! 6. Also what are you lyrical themes? Who writes lyrics in the band? Lyrics are something that are often overlooked in particular in the Metal world – people will put out just about anything that sounds extreme for that reason alone – I can think of many bands that have done and still do this, and it sells either way. I have so far written all of the music and lyrics for the band, with one or two exceptions. Many metal lyrics are derived from the darker side of life, and mine fall into this category from time to time, though they are not ‘negative’ in their outlook, but are my view on certain aspects of personality, people, places etc. These are where I draw my ideas from. I am also very much an outdoors person, and I try to incorporate my feelings about places and times in my lyrics. I cannot claim to be the best lyricist in the world, but I write what I feel. I am a great admirer of those that have written great lyrics in rock/metal – people like Lynott, Schuldiner etc.
After the Shade promo was released, I contacted
many labels with it and had some interest nationally and internationally.
We held back until something more suitable came our way. Sentinel
are a good, hard-working label that have done good things for a
number of Irish bands and the benefits of them knowing the scene
and being close by were not to be ignored. Their international links
are well established and that, for me, is a key aspect.
The reactions have unanimously been incredible. It is unusual to see so many people from different parts of the world being so positive about the band’s recordings. Many reviews are posted on www.forruin.com and people can read for themselves. BW&BK has reviewed the band, as have many other significant names – MetalReview.com, ChroniclesOfChaos.com etc. and all have been embarrassingly good reviews.
9. Now what are the plans for the future? Since you signed a deal can we expect a debut release? Yes, we plan to record our debut album during March of 2007. We have some shows booked until April or May, but we will break to record the drum tracks in mid-March I think. They will be recorded in an external studio, but the remainder of the recording and production will be carried out, as usual, by me at home. We are currently working on the artwork and design for the album so that delays will be minimized when the master is delivered to Sentinel. We will of course be promoting the release as intensively as possible, hopefully in the UK and EU as well as at home. I hope that the album will be released before the summer, and that it will be available as widely as possible. Certainly Sentinel will be selling it through their on-line store at www.sentinelireland.com 10. Ok, that it’s from me. Thanks for you time and support and you can close the interview with your final words. Hails! Thank you for the interview Unchained! Our hails to all in Serbia and I hope you get to hear the latest For Ruin material soon! The new album will contain mostly new material so watch out! Thank you for supporting the scene. For now all the latest info can be read at www.forruin.com and also at our MySpace site at http://www.myspace.com/forruinband ____________________________________________________________________ |
SHADE reviews & Interviews Original Review from Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles (Paper edition - Aaron Small) Hailing from Ireland, John Murphy has performed or programmed all drums/guitars/keyboards/vocals in For Ruin. For a one-man band, the result isn’t bad. The quality of the recording is definitely of early demo status, yet the ideas on offer are what count and Murphy’s got some good ones. Elements of older Amorphis are undoubtedly present. Add to that a cover of Rotting Christ’s ‘The Fourth Knight Of Revelation’ and you have an idea of where For Ruin are heading. Although, the bright Celtic flavoured instrumental ‘Rinn Bearna’ is a radical departure from the cold, dark atmosphere pervading the rest of the CD. Since releasing Shade, Murphy has fleshed out his band with three new players. Could be interesting… _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Quintessence Magazine by Pim, Feb. 3rd 2006 Personally I’m always pretty interested in bands from Ireland so when I was in Dublin earlier this year I was tipped to check out For Ruin, so I got this CDemo to check out and I can’t say I’m disappointed. For Ruin. Basically this is a one-man band, with John playing all instruments; in the meantime he found 3 other members to make sure he can play live as well. ‘Shade’ has 6 songs on it of which 5 are own compositions. Basically I would say this is pretty good melodic death/ black metal with references to old In Flames and old Rotting Christ. As a matter of fact the 6th track is a cover of Rotting Christ’s ‘The 4th Knight of Revelation’ so I think my reference as Rotting Christ as an influence is justified. The recordings were done in Spain (don’t ask me why) and it all sounds very good. I think we can say this is one of the better newer bands from Ireland and with a CD like this you simply can’t go wrong. Good stuff. _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from The Metal Observer by Niall, January 29th 2006 John Murphy and his (formerly) solo-project FOR RUIN have been somewhat busy over the last year, with this, the second demo, being released straight on the back of the first. Moreover, he's working on a promo to entice label interest for future releases. The biggest compliment I can give at this stage is that from "Shade" you know, without doubt, that he is far from jumping ahead of himself. Indeed, FOR RUIN have managed to carve themselves a niche within the confines of Melodic Death Metal that is both fresh and interesting, unlike the current trend IN FLAMES (and their peers) pish. Opener "Dread" shows what I think the band do best. A delightful combination of melody over solid DM inspired riffing that diverts off with subtle use of melancholy. Early KATATONIA and PARADISE LOST influence can be heard in these sections, but what remains most impressive is that this kind of riffing can co-exist with the Melodic Death Metal and its AMON AMARTH overtones. Conversely, while a great step up in sound and delivery from the previous demo, track two, "Vertigo," is still by no means a great track. It remains straightforward and conflicting at the same time, like a much watered-down DARK TRANQUILLITY. Still, this is but a minor blip in a thoroughly impressive demo. Comparisons with the previous demo should be aired here because so superior is the sound and instrumental execution on "Shade," that the direct comparison between the two versions of "Vertigo" is like comparing MAIDEN's "Number Of The Beast" with the woeful SINERGY cover. Both "Starling" and "Another Breed" have similar melodies to "Vertigo," while remaining vastly superior in structure. "Another Breed," particularly, has fantastic use of Blackened moods and the aforementioned maudlin tendencies. However, the surprise element of the demo is the distinctly Celtic "Rinn Bearna." This short instrumental may seem a little out of place, yet John has openly admitted to be experimenting with such moods for future material and a demo, which in this case is essentially a sampler of greater things to come, should display the full extent of a developing bands' arsenal. Closing with an excellent rendition of "The 4th Knight of Revelation" by the mighty ROTTING CHRIST, there isn't much more to add, other than to say that you can really tell how this period of the mighty Greeks has had an important effect on the FOR RUIN sound. A well chosen and worthy cover by a very worthy band. (Online January 29, 2006) _____________________________________________________________________________
With the emergence of bands like Primordial, Waylander and Mourning Beloveth in recent years, Ireland has become home to some of the finest, most unique music in the extreme Metal scene. You can now add For Ruin to that acclaimed list, as if this truly impressive Demo is anything to go by, they have a very bright future ahead of them. Hailing from Cork in the Republic Of Ireland, For Ruin were formed in 1998 by multi-instrumentalist John G. Murphy, who performs all vocals and instruments on this Demo. "Shade" is their second Demo, coming after their split demo with fellow Irish metallers Meiche in 2004. Although this recording is a Demo and is thus not fully mastered, the sound quality is surprisingly clear and coherent, displaying a keen sense of dynamics throughout. While the music of For Ruin sits firmly in the Death/Black Metal category, one thing that is immediately striking is the band’s sense of melody and the overall accessibility of their music. While keyboards and atmospherics appear throughout, they do not detract from, nor overshadow, the songs contained within. In fact, it is apparent from the very first listen that For Ruin are a band who strike a fine balance between aggression and melody, while avoiding the pitfalls of sounding pompous or overblown, like so many in the melodic Death/Black genre have had a tendency to do. Another thing which stands out is the fact that, unlike so many of their contemporaries, For Ruin avoid run-of-the-mill Satanic lyrics and political meanderings, choosing instead to focus on subject matter such as spiralling into depression and dealing with one’s inner fears. Also witness the impressive fluidity of the guitar harmonies in opening tracks "Dread" and "Vertigo" as a testament to the fine musicianship throughout. Having said that, the instrumental track "Rinn Bearna", with its Celtic overtones, is a definite nod to their Irish roots. Also included is a cover of Greek legends’ Rotting Christ’s "The Fourth Knight Of Revelation", which closes the recording in truly epic fashion. While I am hesitant to resort to namedropping (and thus pigeonholing) when promoting any unsigned bands, it is clear that For Ruin will easily appeal to fans of their aforementioned Irish contemporaries, as well as Rotting Christ and perhaps those who revere the early Emperor classics such as "In The Nightside Eclipse" and "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk". All in all, a superb effort from a band who are really going places.
This is my first encounter with this Irish one man army, which now has turned in to a "real" band, though when this demo was recorded and released, all the work was done and recorded by mainman John Murphy. The style is atmospheric epic metal, quite hard to put a finger on, but damn it is some good compositions John have made, they are captivating and spellbinding, from the first stroke on the guitar and keeps the listeners attention in awe all the way thorough the 6 tracks. The guitar work is well played, cold and melodic at times, with a disharmonic twist, often are 2 melodies played at the same time, and that makes a great twisted effect and a truly wicked atmosphere to the music. The drumming is good as well, the pace is often mid-paced, but varied well within the pace, mostly calm and working as percussion more or less, though more hard hitting and dominant at times. The vocals a really good, a part of keeping the album atmospheric and catchy, it's a low snarling vocal, dark and eerie, a great feel it adds to the overall atmosphere. The 5 self-composed tracks on this demo are impressive, dark and atmospheric heavy metal with a dark medieval feel and folk elements weaved into it and a bit of the cold and mystical black metal atmosphere once in a while as well, as the start riff of the great 'Another Breed' track. I can’t pick out a single track on here, which I find better than the rest, I think they all fit perfectly together and the wholesome of the disc is amazing and gripping, the listener is really being spellbound by the musical adventures. The last track, which is a cover version of Rotting Christ´s ´The 4th Knight Of Revelation' fits into the universe of For Ruin very well, the band has traces of Rotting Christ, composition-wise, without it being overdone, but a great ender to the demo and a well played cover version which John makes his own, without the big changes though. This is yet a band that needs to be checked out, and it can't be long before they pick up a record-deal! _____________________________________________________________________________ Born in 2003, For Ruin is the brainchild of one John Murphy, who handles everything one this demo, from the production right on down to the drum programming. Based in Ireland, the band has one previous release to its credit, a split demo with fellow Irish black metal compatriots Meiche, which was released in 2004. Although For Ruin shared an album with a black metal band, this band’s sound is definitely firmly in the melodic death metal camp. Featuring John’s powerful death growl, which manages to be both vicious and decipherable, intermixed with thunderous rhythms and tasty melodic leads, SHADE is the product of a mind that is both talented and sure of direction. The opening high-speed volley of “Dread” sets the tone with dual-tracked guitars laying a solid foundation for some beautiful solos, matched with the death growls. This song definitely shows that John could be a lead guitarist for any number of bands. Both “Vertigo” and “Starling” follow this same formula, combining the death metal approach of the Swedish scene and grafting traditional-styled solos over top. The short, acoustic “Rinn Bearna” provides a brief respite, touching lightly on the folk music of For Ruin’s homeland before launching in to another assault with “Another Breed”. This song has a very cool chugging riff that leads into the expected buzzsaw churn of the verses. If it were up to me, the disc would end there, but it actually finishes with a cover of Rotting Christ’s “The 4th Knight of Revelation”, from that band’s THY MIGHTY CONTRACT disc. It was dull then, and it’s dull now. SHADE is a very promising demo CD that has already garnered a bunch of glowing reviews; I am merely adding my voice. For Ruin is certainly a band to watch out for in the coming years. 4/5. _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from SWOJ.com by Mark, Dec 5th 2005 A little while back, we at Grindaar received a demo from a band based in Ireland who hoped that we might find time to review this, their second demo. Always willing to try something new we gave it a spin and it was pretty clear early on what kind of metal this is. Before we go any further I should be honest and state that I'm not all that familiar with the death, extreme or black metal scenes. The closest I come to that kind of thing is Napalm Death, Carcass and one Obituary album. So I wasn't exactly eager to review something I don't know a whole lot about. However, what I heard over the next 28 minutes inspired me to get typing. Opening track "Dread" wastes absolutely no time at all in setting the stall, we're immediately taken into a superb fast drum beat matched all the way by a great riff and cracking melodies. Indeed a feature right throughout the demo is the impressive guitar interplay between good old fashioned riffing and some lead guitar work which blend together perfectly. "Vertigo" and "Starling" follow hot on the heels and stick closely to their defined genre but at the same time stray into their own space so that each track remains fresh. It would be easy for a novice of this kind of music like me to lose interest and complain that it all sounds the same but there is enough variation here to keep an amateur happy. Now all that is pretty impressive but here comes the bit that'll really rock your boat. For Ruin are a one man band. And the best compliment I can pay John Murphy is that I had no idea this was the case before I visited the For Ruin website. To write 5 of the 6 songs, record each of the instruments and also produce a demo of this quality is quite staggering. And on the subject of production you'll be amazed at the clarity of the sound here. When I think of a demo, I think of a song not quite at its full potential, bogged down in a half-assed sound mix, but John's previous experience as a studio sound engineer have clearly laid some solid foundations. My only slight criticism would be that the Celtic flavoured instrumental "Rinn Bearna" doesn't really fit and appearing halfway through the demo can only serve to cause a stutter and upset the pace. But Murphy has already stated that he is a fan of this music and intends to record more of it so who are we to argue, it's his band and he can do what he likes! Conversely, the instrumental section midway through "Another Breed" fits like a glove and adds an extra dimension, suggesting the song writing is beyond the experience of it's writer. It's hard to say anything negative about Shade.
As a statement of intent of what this band are capable of it's a
mightily impressive affair and we can only wonder what can happen
if For Ruin are picked up by a label - surely someone out there
will realise the potential here and give John Murphy a crack at
it. Whether that helps or hinders his writing and recording process,
we can only hope we get to find out. _____________________________________________________________________________
An air of Bathory surrounds this demo CD from Irish For Ruin. Not only is For Ruin the work of one man, John Murphy, just like Quorthon was the architect behind Bathory, there is also the brutal underground rawness, accented drumming, yet with the occasional penchant for melody, even beauty present throughout. The 28 minutes of music on the CD proves that Murphy is an obvious talent and an asset to the metal underground. This is only his second demo, and if I am to believe the reviews, the learning curve since the first demo has been considerable. If this continues, For Ruin will be more than ready for the masses very soon, trust me on this one. Go to www.forruin.com and listen to the samples from the demo – it is worth your time. 85/100 _____________________________________________________________________________
One-man bands can be a double-edged sword: while they often score high on the individual accomplishment chart, they are also frequently let down by some element or another in their sound that just isn't up to par with the rest -- usually because the person's skills simply fail to cover every aspect of the music with similar proficiency. Not so with Ireland's For Ruin, as sole member John Murphy does a damn good job of sounding like a full band on his own on _Shade_. For Ruin has progressed rapidly since the split demo with Meiche: _Shade_ is not only better produced, the songwriting and execution are also superior. Playing a hybrid style that is usually closer to melodic death metal, with plenty of varied guitar leads and a lively pace, Murphy succeeds in keeping _Shade_ entertaining and enjoyable most of the time. A nice instrumental track is also included, while on the other hand the Rotting Christ cover that closes the demo doesn't strike me as a particularly noteworthy addition -- but it does no harm either. There is still plenty of work ahead of For Ruin, more consistency yet to be achieved; but the progression so far has been remarkable. Indeed, the new promo that is being prepared as label bait will most likely have a good chance of capturing some interest for the future. I, for one, will certainly be interested in hearing how far Murphy will be able to take For Ruin in 2006. 4/5 _____________________________________________________________________________
Ireland’s For Ruin is a one-man band by John Murphy. According to the biography the band has existed since 2003 and Shade is already the band’s second demo. Perhaps we should date its existence back to 1998 becuase the first material - that was released on a split with Meiche (another Irish band) last year - was born between 1998 and 2004. For Ruin’s music can be described as a mixture of melodic death and melodic black metal, with influences from bands like Rotting Christ and Dissection. They also have a melancholic, darker touch that brings up the names of Katatonia and Amorphis, but only in the atmoshperic aspects. And of course, John is proud of his Irish ancestry, as we can hear it in the instrumental interlude, ’Rinn Bearna’. ’Dread’ is a vigorous opener, showing the black metal side of the band, completed with melodic solos and slower tempos. The crushing riffing in the middle gives an interesting twist to the song, making it really enjoyable to listen to. It is enjoyable thanks to its variation, and already you know you can expect quality music on Shade. ’Vertigo’ follows, a simplier track compared to the first one, mainly becuase of its stronger, more straight-forward melodic death relish. It is not a bad track either, just less unique. ’Starling’ also has a strong melodic death feel, with half shrieking, half growling vocals. What I really liked about the song are John’s guitar lines. Sometimes these are pure heavy metal solos, at others thrilling riffs spoil us, giving a vivid vibe to the song. The aforementioned, Celtic influenced, instrumental ’Rinn Bearna’ is a quiet passage, taking us to the misty land of the emerald isle. ’Another Breed’ is the last For Ruin song on the demo. It starts as a furious black metal attack, with nicely hidden gutiarlines in the background, but after just half a minute Amon Amarth-like melodic death joins in. A nice, epic mixture results! But still there are some surprises left for us. Around the second minute acoustic guitars take the lead, to strengthen the epic feel of the song, while the strong riffs will make everybody headbang along. The CD closes with ’The 4th Knight of Revelation’, a Rotting Christ cover, and the Greeks can be pretty proud of this version of their song. When I first got this promo, I really did not know
what to expect. Ireland is not really famous for its metal scene
and for first glance, judging after the cover pic, For Ruin did
not seem too special either. And as always, the best things come
from the unexpected. For Ruin 8/10 _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from live4metal.com by Chris Davison, November 18th, 2005 For Ruin - Shade (self released demo) review by Chris Davison
Original Review from Adrenalin Fanzine (Darren Brandt - November 14th, 2005) I was first introduced to For Ruin last summer with 2004's For Ruin/Meiche split (see Adrenalin reviews, Sept 2nd 2005). I wasn't blown away from what I heard, but it did grab my attention. This time, For Ruin has released their own 6 track promo disc. After reading up on their background, I was really impressed. For Ruin consists of one sole member! You would never guess it If you were listening to the music, never. For Ruin spews melody on this release more then ever! The guitars are thick and heavy with layers and layers of melody in all the right places. The drums don't miss a beat. Vocals are hardcore. The instrumental track (Rinn Bearna) is something else. I can tell there was a lot of attention to detail in producing and engineering Shade. I still can't believe one guy did this all! Track, mix, master, play all instruments, write the lyrics, and sing... muther fucker! This is a powerful stunning eye opening release, and I can only imagine positive results ahead for For Ruin. It obviously shines through in the music the strong dedication to metal! Excellent job! Now the next step is to assemble a live band and get on the road! www.forruin.com Track Highlights: Dread, Vertigo, Rinn Bearna
Overall: 9/10 _____________________________________________________________________________
For Ruin is a one-man-project of John Murphy. Previously, the band released a split CD with brother-band Meiche. In my review I already mentioned that John was working on a second demo 'Shade'. This happened in Spain, where the talented Irishman resided to complete his doctoral studies. When reading the extended biography I feel nothing but respect for this man. These two demos will be spread amongst people and reviewers as much as possible to, on the strength of positive reviews, awake the interest of a label and record a real debut full length album, where the songs will sound better than ever. This carefully thought about way of working seems very clever to me, for one can find enough excellent material on this two demos to fill an exciting full length album. What do we find on 'Shade'? A revisited version of the song 'Vertigo' which reigned by its luscious riffs on the former demo. This demo starts wild and furious with 'Dread' eradiating pure energy, but once again it are those inventive guitar runs of John that draw the attention. Also 'Starling' is melodic death metal with even a few slightly black influences popping up once in a while. 'Rinn Bearna' is a Celtic inspired instrumental melancholic piece. Sprung from nostalgia of the mystical homeland? Anyway very nice. The more heavy 'Another Breed' has some atmospheric guitar work too, it emphasizes the diversity of the material and it shows John's composing talents. Once again is chosen for a not that close at hand but delicious cover. This time John honours the influence of Rotting Christ at his music by an extended and impressive version of 'The 4th Knight Of Revelation'. Strong how he turns it into a long piece of music. Especially notice that infectious, repetitive melody, firstly performed on guitar, then on keyboards. Because For Ruin knows the art of swallow the bait, but besides that a lot of variation, the debut album might turn out to be very exciting. Moreover, John is looking for three skilled musicians to play live in future. Rating 75/100 _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Metalireland.com ((Ciaran Tracey, 25/10/05) This latest demo from For Ruin, aka one John Murphy, takes the already commendable standard evinced on 2004's split demo with sibling band Mieche up not one, but several notches. It was obvious from that brief recording that For Ruin had something special going on, with a colour and depth that belied its one-man-band predicament, and although improvement was reasonably to be expected, this much improvement is a more than pleasant surprise. The crucial thing here is that this music sounds like the product of a band that have been at it for years and picked up all the maturity and experience along the way that makes for great songwriting - emphatically not the situation of a multi-instrumentalist in his own budget recording studio. But that is what Dr Murphy has conjured, and more power to him. The improved version of 'Vertigo' from the last demo sounds like it has sat on an industry standard and time tested extreme metal album, while 'Starling' attains a latent evil through the use of clever guitar interplay and demonic double vocals. But where For Ruin really succeed is the coupling of underground extreme metal with the best of straight out heavy metal's inherent drive and melody, and any given song on this demo is a testament to the brilliance of the combination. His musical mentors Rotting Christ had, and increasingly have more of this savvy. Including the well represented RC cover ('The 4th Knight of Revelation'), their influence is more than apparent through the well locked chugging drums and riffing, and the passion for dark and effective melody that runs through all these tracks. Melody is not a dirty word, and nor so a wimpy one. Melody is what one remembers best, and what drives a song, making its point and assisting in its message. For Ruin have it in spades, and it will take them places. And that's without directing attention to the fine details that though having probably been well predetermined, make this music sound effortless and, crucially, complete. The harmonised lead guitar that closes 'Dread', or the blink and you'll miss it acoustic closing chord of 'Starling' indicate the presence of a gifted musician here, with an incisive ear for the above average. Having been schooled in it from the likes of Rotting Christ and earliest Opeth, along with the melodic classics that make their presence felt here, For Ruin have produced what is unequivocally one of the best demos to have been released in Ireland, though it seems almost odd to consider this remarkably accomplished work a mere demonstration. Whatever the category, this intoxicating stuff will win international repute, and deservedly so. - Ciaran Tracey ::: 25/10/05 _____________________________________________________________________________
For Ruin comes from the beautiful land of Ireland. The band formed back in 1998 and "Shade" is their latest demo release which has six tracks. Actually For Ruin is a one man band and behind the vocals and all the instruments is John. Musically the band walks on the melodic side of the extreme paths of metal music. So in this almost half hour of music from For Ruin you will have the opportunity to hear their very good music with the description melodic death metal being closer to the band’s musical direction. Generally their ideas are really interesting and John did a very good work with his compositions and he put some clever ideas inside them. Of course if he works harder their next step will show a progress and is going to be even better than this demo but then again I think time will tell... _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from METALWORKS MAGAZINE (ISSUE 5) For Ruin
Original Review from MetalReview.com, 16th October 2005 (Chris Chellis) I reviewed a split demo not too long ago involving this promising Irish group, so it will seem like the guy responsible for For Ruin is just shitting out album after album, but the truth is that the demo he sent in a few months ago was actually over a year and half old. Since that recording, he has been hard at work on a proper demo highlighting solely the work of what he undoubtedly considers his baby. The first thing you should know about For Ruin is that its sole musician is a dude named John. He plays the guitar, drums, and every other part included on this six-song demo. If that isn’t impressive enough, he also recorded the material by himself while living in Spain, and has pimped this demo and the one preceding it better than Victory Records pimps hardcore during the breaks in Metal Asylum on Fuse. He cares passionately about his music, irrespective of how it’s going to break his bank, and that in and of itself should be respected. Few artists out there approach their recordings with as much care, honesty, and willingness to improve as John. Before I talk about this release, I’d like to note a few things I said in the For Ruin split demo with Meiche. For one, I argued that not enough of the songs were memorable. There weren’t enough melodic riffs and most of what was offered was adequate but not up to par when compared to a few noteworthy tracks (one of which appears on the new demo). I also remember giving the release an average production score. I don’t regret any of these arguments, as I think they all stand as correct today as when I first wrote that review. There was a lot of promise in that demo, but not all of the songs were good enough that I’d want to return to the demo a month or two later and listen to it all the way through. I expected improvement, but I didn’t expect what I find here on Shade, For Ruin’s second demo. The songs are memorable, so much so that when I dig this up on my iPod I know by their names what the songs will sound like (always a good sign), and the production is clearer and sounds much less like it was recorded on dingy equipment in a smelly basement. What comes to mind most quickly when thinking of this demo is the word class. Some of these songs are downright classy, meaning they progress with subtle changes in structure and the riffs sound so distinct from one another. It was obviously all arranged and assembled with the care of someone who has taken all criticism into consideration and decided to write music that will blow away any prior release. I brought up a few names in the last review, namely early In Flames, and that comparison still sticks, but if For Ruin built its own sound in the split demo, it certainly builds with a stronger foundation this time around, as I can’t really extend beyond that comparison without lying. The In Flames melody is there, but somehow I find myself much more excited about listening to this demo than I am to stuff like Lunar Strain; the effect is much more immediate here, while still retaining that epic feeling. The vocals are also superior to the younger, more throaty Mikael Stanne, of whom I’ve never been a big fan. “Dread” is the demo’s opener, and it builds on a really thin guitar sound that grows chunkier with time. If the point of an opening song is to build excitement for the rest of the album, then “Dread” certainly works. It is epic without milking itself dry with simplicity, contains a few structural changes that will surprise, and returns to that thin guitar sound with an awesome lead around 2:30 into the song. The solos fucking rip. Shit like this will bite you in the ass to remind you that even In Flames, ignoring the degenerates that they currently are, started somewhere. The following track, “Vertigo,” is taken from the split demo, and the production sounds cleaner and the playing tighter. Not much needs to be said here, as it’s an improvement on a song that was already kickass to begin with. In the review of the split demo I remember saying that the instrumental track was what impressed me the most. Well, call me doubly impressed, because on Shade we’re treated with “Rinn Bearna,” which nearly blows away “Treading,” the split demo’s instrumental. It’s shorter and serves more as a segue into one of the demo’s harsher, more extreme songs. John picks up an acoustic guitar and plugs away, playing one of the more beautiful tracks I’ve heard in 2005, including the two tracks on Darkest Hour’s latest. The most extreme song on the demo is, without a doubt, “Another Breed.” With a tale about “tortured, empty screams” and “visions of dark dreams,” would you expect anything less than something that annihilates and slays? The mood is most definitely somber on this one, like the others, but what separates this song from the rest is the pounding, chunky and addictive riff. John’s vocals are also more varied, ranging from deep, guttural growls to shrieks more relatable to black than death metal. Hearing this almost makes me wish this were left out of the For Ruin demo and developed by John in a side project, as it does sound quite different than the rest, although it could be easily argued by others that it adds depth and character to Shade. Either way, it’s a strong track. Tossed onto the demo and following “Another Breed” is a suitably strong take on a Rotting Christ original. More than anything else, it shows where John got the influence for the more extreme “Another Breed.” I strongly encourage those who were at any point interested in melodic death metal to check out For Ruin’s latest demo, Shade. Those who have grown bored with In Flames, and even those currently into Rotting Christ, should give ‘em a listen. I will be keeping an eye out for future releases, because I think if John keeps pushing this band in the same way he has been the last year or so, For Ruin could be a fairly big name in the melodic death scene. _____________________________________________________________________________ Original Review from Vampire Magazine, 11th October 2005 (Marcel Banziger) It has only been a few months since For Ruin's previous demo (split demo with fellow Irish black metal band Meiche) was released. In my review I predicted For Ruin to grow out to something interesting. What I didn't expect was that this would happen this fast already. Not even two months have passed by and yet a new demo is out. "Shade" as this new promotional demo is entitled shows a lot of progression compared to the previous recording. That one was already an interesting start but too often the music reminded me too much to other bands (old Katatonia, Death and Amorphis for example). With "Shade" For Ruin developed itself into an even more interesting as well as more original band which will appeal to a wide audience. Besides melodic death metal also some black metal influences as well as heavy metal influences can be found, all blended perfectly together. Comparing For Ruin with any other bands has now become quite difficult and I actually can't come up with any comparisons.
With "Shade" For Ruin definitely has grown a lot since the split with Meiche and I now know for sure this band will grow out to something very good. But 'till then I'll listen to "Shade" some more as it's a damn fine demo! ____________________________________________________________________________ Interview from Vampire Magazine, Oct 15 2005 (Courtesy of Marcel) Interview with
Last week I received the "Shade" promo demo from Irish For Ruin. In contrary to their previous release, the Meiche/For Ruin - split demo, the band evolved a lot and "Shade" contains some damn fine metal tunes, appealing to a very wide audience. Reason enough for me to have a talk with John, one and only member in For Ruin. Hello John, welcome to Vampire magazine. How are you doing?
First of all, the band name…what does For Ruin stand for from your point of view?
And what were your influences when starting the band?
You’ve decided to release your first demo as a split with Meiche, in which you also participate. Why have you chosen to release it as a split instead of releasing one demo per band at a time?
How were the reactions towards the split-demo from the worldwide press?
Musically I compared you to among others old Katatonia, Amorphis and even some Death. Can you agree with these comparisons? And what bands actually did influence you when composing your first demo?
What inspires you when writing lyrics?
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