Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Frameless Scar - No Season Fits My Surroundings - 2005 - Self Released

Track Listing1. 18 Nine 2. In Me 3. I Fit My Surroundings 4. My Philosophy

Well, I've come to appreciate just about everything associated with Hansen Studios. With big budget bands like Hatesphere, Volbeat, and Raunchy coming out of Hansen Studios (Jailhouse Studios), the sound and production work wonders for just about every band. This time we get the demo from Frameless Scar, a Danish band with high hopes. With the clever title "No Season Fits My Surroundings", this band engage and fall forward with four tracks of rather aggressive and brutal ampage. At times the band work like Gorefest or Dismember, with the most vicious and sadistic undertow, other times the band mix in more modern singing styles and beats. The end result....well this makes for a damn fine demo.

Opening cut "18 Nine" is a speedy lift off into the stratosphere, with addictive guitar melody and a brutal, sonic outburst from vocalist Jan Jepsen, who sounds a bit like In Flames' Anders Friden crossed with the deep rumble of Hypocrisy mainman Peter Tagtgren. "In Me" works like an intelligent Entombed outing, with the deep deathy rumbles and "classic" Swedish sound, but where those elements emerge also comes a more fruitful, dynamic approach with Plougstrup and Hansen combining on a real melodic guitar approach, at times bordering on the gothic passages of one Paradise Lost. "I Fit My Surroundings" starts out with some rich, slow picking before moving into deeper, faster waters. This one retains a huge hook about midway through, taking advantage of the tight production allowed by Hansen Studios. Closing track is "My Philosophy", a mature effort that uses aggression and melody in a strange cross reference, mixing the two together to create the perfect formula to soothe the most hardcore "New Wave Of American Metal" enthusiasts.

I find it very surprising that Frameless Scar is without a label home right now. This sort of sound is exactly what is currently in, a marquee example of just what the suits and ties are looking for. As this band hits the road and the shopping scene, they will pick up a deal. Four songs just isn't enough for my liking, with Frameless Scar doing more on this EP than some endcap bands selling platinum full lengths. Strange surroundings indeed.

Note - You can download this entire EP at http://www.framelessscar.dk/index.php?reveal=music


--EC 08.20.05