There’s a well touted quote from the NME imploring all the ‘fat, lazy, deaf A & R bastards’ (or words to that effect) to sign up this bunch of rap-metal heavyweights who hail from perhaps the most unlikely place to find metal, Oxford. So, is this challenge to major labeldom justified or is the NME just talking crap again?

Having seen these guys churn out dizzyingly electric live shows, lacerating the mosh pit with their own brand of down-tuned rifferama, this demo comes as a slight disappointment. The title track, whilst undeniably anthemic with some great hooks, is all awash with electronica and big production which isn’t too flattering to the band’s live energy.

Second track, ‘Ben’s Song’, is much more like it with its Deftones-esque moodiness, old-fashioned grungy screams and the band’s usual ear for catchy one-line choruses.

The final track is a remix of ‘Downfall’ by local dance act Lab-4 which, whilst there are lots of nice little ideas kicking around, it still sounds like every other run of the mill dance remix.

OK, so this isn’t perhaps the most original demo around and is bound to be seen by some as yet another ‘nu-metal’ band taking a chance on the well-mined angst-rock market. However, if the progress Black Candy have made over the past few months is anything to go by, I’m sure they will develop beyond what this demo suggests.