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Downspirit

Point of Origin

Review by Gary Hill

At their best Downspirit are original and creative, blending different sounds together in a captivating arrangement. At their worst, they are a little too raw and a little too redundant. Still, they are most often closest to the best end of the spectrum and their worst isn’t really bad. It’s only bad in comparison to the better material. All in all, this is a fun album.


This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Point of Origin Pt. I

The first half of this is mellow and melodic. More than anything else it makes me think of Hawkwind. From there, though, it turns a bit darker. It’s still very much in keeping with Hawkwind like music.

Point of Origin Pt. II
As the metal powers out here it becomes obvious this ain’t Hawkwind. It’s got a great groove to it and reminds me at times of Godsmack, but a bit heavier. This is catchy and very tasty.
Lovesong
A rap metal cut in some ways, this also has some seriously heavy epic metal in the mix. It should be mentioned that the lyrical content surely should carry a parental warning. There’s a tasty guitar solo on this piece.
Life’s a B***h
Starting with a mellow blues jam, this moves out into a riff driven metallic cruncher that’s pretty cool. The vocals at time lean towards death metal. Overall this is straightforward rocker. Of course, it comes with a parental warning. There’s a killer processed guitar section later and it drops to a mellow movement that again makes me think of Hawkwind just a bit.
Lost
Raw and very heavy, this one features both epic metal styled vocals and death metal raging. It’s a good tune, but not anything exceptional.
Good Times
There’s a killer old school hard rock groove to this one. That makes it a change from a lot of the other music here. It also makes it one of the coolest tracks on show. It’s got a little bit of Kiss in the mix, if you ask me, but also some Buckcherry. There’s even a bluesy harmonica solo.

Hollow Words
Here’s a mellower cut. It’s more of a hard rock song than it is a heavy metal number. It’s got quite a bit of an ‘80’s hair metal texture to it. The chorus does rock out like an epic metal jam, though.
Highway Run
This one alternates between riff driven hard rock, progressive metal intricacy and raw extreme leaning metal. It’s an intriguing blend of contrasts and an interesting track.
Arisen
Another that qualifies as progressive metal because of its varying sounds and textures, the formula is beginning to wear a little thin by this point in the disc.
Make My Day
In some ways this is rawer than the rest. Yet, there is also music here that’s nearly progressive rock. All in all, it’s an interesting track that manages to breathe a little more life into the group’s sound.
The End
A slower and more melodic cut, this is my favorite track on the disc. It’s dramatic and powerful.
Rockstar Blues (Bonus Track)
Featuring slide guitar, this feels a bit tongue in cheek, but it’s got an old school blues texture that’s quite cool.
 
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