The Calm – Demo

The Calm
Demo
1994 (no label)
Manassas, Virginia, USA

Possible band members:

Ellyn Bussey – Vocals
PJ Bussey – Guitars
Daniel Wilkinson – Bass
Tim Shoemaker – Drums

Side 1:

1. The Calm That Rules the Storm
2. Down in the Valley (Again)

Side 2:

1. Interlude / Into the Calm
2. The Choice

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this tape – the band name sounds alternative. But you put it in and get a crunchy metal guitar… so not alternative. After some research, I found that this band was an effort from PJ Bussey and Daniel Wilkinson of Armageddon and Ellyn Bussey of Sorrow of Seven after Robert and Ellyn got married. The sound on this demo is a bit muddy, but the music is really interesting. It is progressive metal with a dark atmosphere and a slight Gothic bent. Very interesting. In fact, “The Choice” was on the HM Sampler #73 in 1998 under the name “Out From the Shadows.” This is a different demo than the 1995 demo listed on some sites – only the song “The Calm That Rules the Storm” made it onto that demo. They also had a demo called Confessions of a Thirsty Tongue (1998) after the 1995 S/T one as well. I don’t know if any of these tracks made it on there beyond “The Choice” – it is there under the new name. So it is hard to tell what songs made it there. Also, there is an earlier 1993 demo as  well. I haven’t heard anything else from this band, so I don’t know. But these four songs are really good.

Missing Information: Who played on this.