Blake's Vengeance - "7747-7744" (Defense Records/Mythrone Promotion, 2016)

Band: Blake's Vengeance
Title: 7747-7744
Genre: Techno-Thrash metal with Heavy Metal elements
Year: 2016
Time: 20 min circa
Rating: 72/100












The story of the first and only demo of the Italians Blake's Vengeance (from Milan, Lombardy) is very troubled. In fact, "7747-7744" was originally released on digital format in 2014 but it had a very simple artwork but no title, hence it was known, simply put, as "Demo 2014". Fortunately, the band re-released the demo on CD as "7747-7744" in March 2015 with an artwork, simple but with a sci-fi fashion. Finally, the Polish label Defense Records (in collaboration with its compatriot Mythrone Promotion) reissued it with a very beautiful artwork close, in a certain sense, to the ones of the "oriental" NWOBHM bands like Tokyo Blade and Samurai. But, instead, this band offers another kind of metal, a bit more sophisticated than the music of the aforementioned NWOBHM-dinosaurs.

In this demo, the Blake's Vengeance shows technical thrash metal à la Watchtower played mostly through often unusual and convoluted mid-tempos but presenting, at the same time, some more heavy metal influences, like in the neoclassical melodies of "Ronin", the tour de force of the demo. The various songs are enough articulate and rich of guitar solos ranging from the 6 minutes of "Ronin" (which contains even a drum solo!) to the 5 minutes and a half of "Blind to the World", a track that has not only melodic ballad passagges but also some of the more violent thrash outbursts of the entire demo! Hence, "7747-7744"  is a production full of interesting intuitions also if not experimenting too much like in the more classic techno-thrash metal formula.

In addition of all this, I must mention also the excellent interaction between the two guitars, with the lead one very present into the music of the Blake's Vengeance. And don't forget the particular voice of Dave Ancient, a singer sometimes very close to John Cyriis of the Agent Steel...but I think it's an absurd idea of mine!

In simple words, we are in presence of a very promising band that has one only flaw: until this day, it has only released this demo but it's not enough. Another production is now urgently needed!

Tracklist:

1 - We Sleep
2 - Ronin
3 - Blind to the World
4 - The Machine

Line-up:

Dave Ancient - vocals/guitars
Sam Costa - guitars
Vic Guida - bass
Paolo "Zippo" Carrescia - drums

FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/blakesvengeanceofficial/timeline
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/blakesvengeance
Defense Records: http://www.defensemerch.com/
Mythrone Promotion: https://www.facebook.com/mythroneprom