StillBorn

Its name screams “death metal,” but StillBorn’s musical focus lies outside of the graveyard. With grooves, guitar experimentation, and whiny/spooky vocals reminiscent of Korn (but without the rap/metal component on which so many local crews have capitalized), this potent group has crafted two solid compositions. The explosive first track features growling vocals on its furious chorus, the time-honored repeat-the-same-line-louder-and-louder device (the featured phrase is You calling my name?), and a brutally heavy final act. The following tune remains interesting for its six-minute duration, with low-end riffs merging with a melodic guitar line and vocals that range from shouts to whispers. Despite the short career life span implied by its name, StillBorn’s future looks promising, especially if the rest of the songs on its in-progress full-length debut are of this caliber.