Umbra Within - 2005 Demo   Genre: Experimental/Progressive Metal   Release Date: 2005   Label: Unsigned    Every so often I come across a metal band that is truly unique, not falling under any specific metal sub-genre.  One such band is Umbra Within. Based in Camp Hill, PA, Umbra Within started by guitarist and composer Justin Clauser.  Instead of having a band that was restricted to a specific type of metal, he decided he wanted something more experimental.  Thus, Umbra Within was born.  In 2005, a year after a stable line-up was formed, they released a demo. The 2005 demo is unlike most demos I have ever heard.  First off, its sound quality is excellent, especially when considering that it is just a demo.  Second, the three songs on it are completely different from each other.  If one did not know better, one would thing that he was listening to a compilation disc of different bands.  Is that a bad thing?  In this case, most certainly not.  Now let's get on with the review. The first track is called "Modern Empire".  This is by far my favorite song on the demo.  Containing harsh vocals, clean male vocals, and clean female vocals, "Modern Empire" as some of the best vocal harmonies I have ever heard in a metal band that does not fit under a power metal mold.  The guitars on it are solid, not sounding sloppy or over-done.  The keyboards sound great and do not sound out of place at all.  The song writing is amazing as well.  The song itself has a very appocyliptic feel to it, like the world is going to end.  I say that of course as a compliment, as it would be a very fitting song at the end of an epic film.  I actually found myself listening to this song at least once a day the first week I had the demo. The second track is called "Atrophy".  It is a mostly mellow tune that has a major Opeth sound to it.  First it starts out very slow with some great lead guitar work, then the beautiful vocal harmonies come in.  Both Carrie Ednie (keyboardist) and Tim Lennon's (vocals) vocals are absolutely wonderful in this piece.  After a while the distortion on the guitars come in as well as the harsh vocals and takes you on a whirlwind of progressive metal.  It is a rather beautiful song that showcases every band members talents.  If you were to stick Opeth and Dream Theater into a blender, it would probably sound like "Atrophy". The third and final track is an instrumental called "Capriccio".  Right off the bat it starts off with some great lead harmonies.  It showcases the tight guitar playing of Don Egan and Justin Clauser, and is an excellent instrumental to boot.  For all of you Yngwie Malsteen fans out there, this track is right up your ally. With great production, excellent vocals, tight musicianship, and outstanding songwriting, this is a demo that is sure to get them signed to a decent label sometime in the near future.  The world not experiencing this band's music would be a crime against humanity. Review written by: Keith H.          Date: May 3, 2006              Rating: 5 stars out of 5
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