CoC : Honey for Christ - Forging Iron Will : Review

Honey for Christ - _Forging Iron Will_
by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 5)

Know what chaps my ass? I know this Irish four-piece band is worthy of all five out of five stars, but this three track demo leaves the band a bit high and dry. Like shoveling shit against the tide of harsh, moody metal out there today, Honey for Christ stands on an oceanic precipice of something great; they have obviously found a natural spring of inspiration. They rise above metal's murky depths like no band at this point in their career should be able, but they do. Bathing the listener with only three cuts, Honey for Christ run the gamut of metal -- from harsh to blackened-sliced abrasiveness to mood inducing interludes. HfC use predominately powerfully clean vocals with an injected guttural grunt here and there for mostly effect. While I am supportive of the less rigorous throaty-style for a fair number of bands that I will not waste your time in listing off, Honey for Christ would do very well to explore adding MORE of the gravelly vocal approach to their material. It washes well with the musically foamy effervesce they pound forth again and again. Heavy, chunky and a varied style are things all well represented on _Forging Iron Will_. You could get lost in the undertow HfC creates. While this isn't a bad thing, this demo lacks the endurance to hold your attention -- in their watery prison -- long enough to drown in their potential.

(article published 16/3/2003)