Soterios has been signed to No Compromise Records, so keep a look out for this band. The only reason I got their five-song demo is because my best friend is the lead vocalist. They are selling these CDs, though; if you want one, their website is http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/1659/Soterios.htm, go there and let them know. . .
That bit of shameless promotion aside, let me tell you about the disc. Production-wise, it's quite decent, considering they recorded it on a home system. Soterios has a sound reminiscent of that of Carcass, Embodyment, Pantera, Underoath, and newer Living Sacrifice, with a touch of Plastic Soul Impalement-era Training For Utopia thrown in for spice. You guessed it, this is blackened metalcore at its finest. The band has a natural talent, it seems, for hitting the starts, stops, and bridges that'll leave your nose bleeding. The vocalist has an unblack quality like that of Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest-era Zao, only a little more forceful. The lyrics convey a deep-seated yearning for our Holy God in a very unholy world, as shown in the songs "To The Altar", "With Weakness Stained" and "My Final Apostasy".
Like I said before, they've been signed to a label, and will be releasing a debut full-length shortly, and by what the band says it'll be tons heavier than this demo. Hope so. But, if you want to be the type who said you knew about Soterios before they were sold in Christian bookstores in America, feel free to check 'em out. You won't be disappointed.
8.5/10
