Luke and Jake Davies’ band OF LIMBO deals in ruthless, unforgiving hard rock. They’ve released a spate of singles and an EP thus far – last year’s call-to-arms anthem “Let’s Go”, and the new single from these Southern California riff-merchants entitled “California Demon” further ups the ante. They’re going for broke with this new sonic platter and fire off one crushing array of riffs after another that’s guaranteed to physically connect with anyone who isn’t deaf. This is a band that knows exactly who they are, makes no bones about it, and gets in your face.
The visceral charge of their latest single electrifies listeners from the outset. There’s no preamble. OF LIMBO’s “California Demon” is on a mission from first note to last and the teaming of the Davies brothers on guitar, Luke on lead and Jake on rhythm, is the highlight of their sonic assault. They back their six-string pyrotechnics with able rhythm section accompaniment and the meaty gravitas of the song’s bottom end serves as the jumping-off point for the band’s fire and fury.
Pairing the song with a visually captivating music video helps send this single over the top. It doesn’t attempt to fill in the song’s story of a young woman surrendering her soul for stardom, but the imagery they choose to go with supplies it with memorable images that reinforce the lyrics. Actors Kelly Hyde and Mic Dangerously are excellent in their respective roles of the Girl and the Demon while director Tony Vercelli deserves five-star level praise for turning out a video that is visually arresting and jumps off the screen.
Mike Pepe’s production captures a full-bodied sound from OF LIMBO on the track. It has excellent balance as well with its focus falling on the guitars, naturally, while never allowing them to overshadow the rhythm section. The vocals veer from lung-bursting to understated, a reflection of the song’s varying dynamics, and sound like the music possesses every syllable. It’s as emphatic of a performance as you can hope for from a band of this ilk.
It never overreaches. Running a hair over the three-and-a-half-minute mark is an ideal duration for the tune and dispensing with often perfunctory components such as an obligatory guitar solo accentuates the song’s distinctiveness. The Australian-born Davies brothers never allow themselves to be sucked into the quicksand of aping more prominent bands in an effort to glean reflected glory for their work. “California Demon” imposes its will on listeners and bursts out of your speakers with its own identity.
Let’s hope there are many other such singles in the band’s future. Their nascent career has already paid off with an assortment of first-class releases and they show no signs of sacrificing the freshness and intensity that’s served as their calling card thus far. OF LIMBO’s “California Demon” rampages its way through you and leaves a mark. It also leaves you wanting more. It’s a song that delivers the goods and you can’t hardly ask for anything better.
Jodi Marxbury