The Calm – Demo

The Calm
Demo
1993 (no label)
Manassas, Virginia, USA

1. The Choice
2. Burned Out in Babylon
3. Reality

This appears to be the first demo by The Calm, a band that was formed by PJ Bussey and Daniel Wilkinson of Armageddon along with Ellyn Bussey (PJ’s wife) of Sorrow of Seven. The recorded another demo in 1994 that saw a new version of “The Choice”  on it. “The Choice” eventually was renamed “Out of the Shadows” on their 1995 demo Confessions of a Thirsty Tongue. I don’t think the other two songs on here were ever re-recorded. The sound quality on the demo is a bit rougher than later efforts, and they are still finding their footing as a band, but they also display a good knack for songwriting. They are also not quite as progressive as on later releases, but there is still some here.

Missing Information: Were the band members on this tape the same as alter tapes?

The Calm – Confessions of a Thirsty Tongue

The Calm
Confessions of a Thirsty Tongue
1998 (no label)
Manassas, Virginia, USA

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

Side 1:

1. Riddle in Red
2. Plight of a Hypocrite
3. Inner Mission
4. Letter to a Long Lost Friend
5. The Raging Calm

Side 2:

1. Shadow’s Hold
2. Out from the Shadows
3. A Breath of Fresh Spirit
4. Gift Giving

This appears to be the last demo from The Calm, a band that was formed when two members of Taker and Armageddon teamed up with the vocalist from Sorrow of Seven. Well, one of those Taker/Armageddon guys was married to the vocalist from So7, so it was a natural team-up. Also of note is that no band members are listed on the tape itself, so the information above is from various online sources. It seems that this demo finds the band leaving behind some of the gothic influences and going for a mix of traditional metal and progressive metal. “Out from the Shadows” is a re-recorded version of “The Choice” from their 1994 demo. I am not sure if any other songs on this tape are re-named versions of older songs from that demo or their 1995 demo, though. I just recognized that song because it was included on HM Magazine’s Hard Music Sampler 73 in 1998. After this, PJ and Dan formed a band called Attic Symphony that is referred to as “mostly instrumental epic melodic heavy metal.” I should check that out.

The Calm – The Calm

The Calm
The Calm
1995 (no label)
Manassas, Virginia, USA

Possible band members:

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

Side 1:

1. Time Divider
2. Purity
3. Then…

Side 2:

1. The Calm That Rules the Storm
2. What of the Night

I remember being really impressed with this band’s 1994 demo, and this demo does not disappoint, either. The band is PJ Bussey and Daniel Wilkinson of Armageddon and Ellyn Bussey of Sorrow of Seven after PJ and Ellyn got married. They continue with their progressive gothic metal sound on this release as well. “The Calm That Rules the Storm” from their last demo is the only song from that one that made it on here. I don’t know of any more demos after this one until 1998’s Confessions of a Thirsty Tongue (when they finally give their demo a name and cover).

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.