The (Original) Majesty Demos Appreciation Thread

[The Letter M]

So I've been listening to DT a lot lately (due to the recent online release of "On The Backs Of Angels" and the new tour) and I'm currently listening to the original 6-track Majesty Demos.

For a band of 19 year olds, this is pretty good stuff! How often do 5 college-kids come together to write music like this and then move on to bigger and better things? Not very often, and this music is a great look back into what the band was in their embryonic days. There's a certain rough rawness that really gives the music character, and you can hear their influences if you are familiar with them enough.

The songs range from good to great, nothing truly jaw-dropping compared to things they'd do over the next decade, but for what it was worth, it's still pretty good. I think "A Vision" is pretty solid, and "Another Won" is a solid opener. There's some tasty JP solos and KM's keyboard work is pretty amazing considering his most-likely-limited equipment, and JM gets a LOT of lead-bass in the music (with some awesome subtle bass work like in the first verse of "Vital Star"), something that I sort of miss! And MP's drumming is solid and he definitely wears his Neil Peart influence on his sleeve. As for Chris Collins... well, he does his Tate-impressions and shows where the band would be going with Charlie and eventually James, and gives the band it's unique sound of metal vocals on top of prog rock.

So for fans of the band's beginnings, appreciate!

-Marc.

[setrataeso]

Aside from "A Vision" I think there's a lot to like on the demos. Another Won is obviously much better on Score, but overall if one can get past the shoddy production, the music was enthusiastic and fun.

[ReaPsTA]

I'm somewhat a fan of "Two Far."  Not as much as Another Won, but I'd love to hear them play it, even though that would probably never happen.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

the gift we bring, your majestey.

[TheGreatPretender]

I liked YYZ, it's one of the best instrumentals they ever wrote.

[yorost]

YYZ is not on the Majesty Demos.  It's part of the Berklee Demos and was a Rush cover.

[TheGreatPretender]

YYZ is not on the Majesty Demos.  It's part of the Berklee Demos and was a Rush cover.

I know it was a Rush cover, it was a joke. And the Majesty Demos re-release had the Berklee Demos included on it. I hadn't realized that this thread explicitly excluded those.

[The Dark Master]

For their time and place, the Majesty Demos are damn impressive.  Granted, it basically sounds like a bunch of teenagers saying "We wanna be just like Rush!" but if you look beyond that obvious influence, the musicianship and even the songwriting is very noteworthy considering the age and inexperience of the members at the time, plus there are actually a surprising number of unique little hints at what was to come later in the band's career.  I like Two Far in particular, very catchy and memorable song, and Kevin Moore's keyboard solo on this track owns all.  Another Won and Your Majesty are also damn good, but the whole thing is a lot of fun to listen to.

BTW, check out the versions of Cry for Freedom and Resurrection of Ernie on the WDADU demos.  Both of those songs are from that era, and both are rather cool.  I have heard there are live bootlegs of CFF with Chris Collins singing, but I have yet to track one down.  

[ariich]

I've listened to it a few times, but I find it pretty meh. Another Won is a decent song though.

[MirzekDT]

Two Far is amazing song

[The Presence of Frenemies]

As a fan of high vocals in general, I'm probably one of the few people on this forum who actually really likes Chris Collins' vocals. I really prefer him to Dominici, who struggled with the higher stuff. The songwriting on the demos isn't good by DT standards, but it's still pretty good for 80's metal. The production isn't much, of course, but it's an enjoyable listen overall.