Remainder
Demo 2016
For fans of Faded Grey, Of Faith and Fire, Dag Nasty, and 7 Seconds
Score: 8/10
Remainder consists of Lance Wells and Shay Mehrdad of Faded Grey, and Bobby Franks and Mike Randazzo from Of Faith and Fire. It’s dope to be hearing new music from these guys, and while I try to listen to all new music as a clean slate, it’s hard to resist comparing this demo to the output of those great bands. When you think of Faded Grey and Of Faith and Fire, a very distinct sound will most likely form in your head, and while their new group embraces that familiarity, it also expands just enough to push forward its musical boundaries and avoid feeling stale or worn out.
So, now without further ado, let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that Remainder don’t know what they’re doing. They know exactly what they’re doing. Remainder is undertaking an effort to change this hardcore scene, to make modern hardcore more like it used to be. All jokes aside, Remainder kicks off their demo in familiar territory with a song titled “Part III” that is a nod to the past, continuing Lance’s “Remainder” titled song tradition. It’s a straight up hardcore/punk song that will most likely make you smile and bop your head to the rhythm. Shay has always excelled in this pocket of music that feels familiar and comfortable while simultaneously fresh and complex. He brings just enough technical presence to punk rock to make it stand out without losing the essence and emotion of the music.
Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks hasn’t listened to Remainder yet. Outside of a guest yell, scream, or gang vocal on FG/OFAF tracks, a secondary voice or singing track was never really their forte, but in the song “Finding Gaps” a secondary vocal makes the track really shine, and adds a new weapon to the band’s arsenal. The backing vocals work in a Fugazi-like way that really add a different dimension, harmony, and a touch of sneer to the song, working in its favor. My only complaint is that it doesn’t happen more on this demo, and I hope it will be utilized more in future releases.
The last track in the demo is a cover of Dag Nasty’s “Justification” from 1986’s Can I Say. The Remainder collective hit all parts of the original song on its head and follow it very faithfully, resulting in a refreshed recording of the original. Some of my favorite cover songs are those where the band molds it into their own a bit to make it a new thing, and while the structure of “Justification” hasn’t been toiled with much, it is a nice addition and fits with the band’s sound.
The production on this demo sounds really good. Credit to Adam Punjabi and the band for putting out a great sounding 3 songs. I’ve known Adam for a while now and have even recorded with him in the past, and can attest to his grasp on recording. Each new piece he puts out sounds better than the last and this is no exception. Punk rock is not a terribly hard genre to record but the flipside is that it is terribly easy to mess up a punk record. Thankfully Adam has been doing his thing long enough to know how to put a session together nicely. He’s added just enough polish to this recording without stripping the emotion and raw power of the band or genre.
For a 3 song demo there isn’t much to complain about here. The original songs by Remainder sound great and they show promise for excellent future releases. The cover is pretty superb too, as it fits within the band’s wheelhouse perfectly. The only flaw that is keeping it from a higher score is that I (and probably most others) want to hear more from these guys. This demo clocks in at about 5 minutes and it is much too hard to define a band by such a small sample, but sometimes good things come in small packages. Keep putting out the killer jams guys, because we will all be patiently waiting.
-Mike Reilly
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