Artist: Sentencia
Country: Chile
Label: Self-Released
Format: Demo Tape
Year: 2026
Formed in 2024, Sentencia is a relatively new band coming from the ever-fertile grounds of Chile. After a bit of changes in personnel, the band eventually felt ready to record their first demo, which they simply titled ‘Demo 2026’ and released themselves the right way: as a demo cassette tape. Without even having heard a single note of their self-categorized Death/Thrash Metal, self-releasing a demo tape gave them a head start and earned them extra credit.
On a musical level, the best thing about ‘Demo 2026’ is the honest sound/production. Ever since I started diving into the world of Extreme Metal I have kept a soft spot for bands who are making the best of the minimal resources they seem to have. In the end: not everybody is able to use top notch studios, or are able to afford them. But, it is good to remember that most of the classic (demo) recordings have been made in conditions way worse than all those home-made recordings done with 666 plugins and whatever tools.
On a musical level Sentencia are blending the 1985-era proto-Death Metal elements with some hints of Thrash Metal from the same era, as well as bits and pieces of Punk (in the rhythms) and Heavy Metal (in the lead guitars). Consequently, ‘Demo 2026’ is a bit of a hotchpotch of basically everything. That also means that there is still some work to be done to get everything slightly better aligned in order to achieve a bit more coherence. But the charm of this demo definitely lies in the contagious energy and palpable joy these guys had recording this. Judging from the photo in the booklet of the tape these guys are not like 18 years old anymore, but in a way this sounds like a youthful demo of some thirty-or-so years ago.
Not the best when it comes to the musical content, yet, it is good to keep in mind that every band and musician needs to start somewhere. Personally can’t deny that I have a fondness for this kind of recording; Sentencia has my support simply for the lovely nostalgic feeling it evokes in me.
