Cleveland hardcore band, Drago, is going the do-it-yourself route with the release of “Nuclear Winter Demo.” “Nuclear” is a torturous six-track demo that never lets up. My guess is the band name came from the Ivan Drago of “Rocky” fame due to what appears to be Russian overtones.

“Misty Mountain Howl” starts off with the bands name being shouted and then transitions into the riffs of Tony, the guitarists in “Swingbitch.” The lyrics cannot be deciphered and singer Ryan Boehm’s ability is very limited, sounding like Eagles’ Joe Walsh trying to sing hardcore. Musically it’s an overall mess, with nothing more than mediocre riffs. “Cozen” starts off with more or less the same with those lacking riffs. Boehm transitions from being Walsh-like to sounding like a guy trying to be too hardcore, giving his best demonic grunt to “bring it home.” “Dirt Harvest” starts fast, then transitions into a slower-tempo. This time, the demonic grunts are the main vocals, but musically it offers the best that “Nuclear Winter Demo” has to offer with a cool bass solo that sounds like a Tool riff. “D.Y.A.D.” begins with a fast riff that cranks out all kinds of sounds, but that ends abruptly as once again the failed attempts at sounding like a good hardcore frontman sets in. “D.Y.A.D.” ends on a softer note, with another decent bass riff that is the only strong point. “The Walking Dead” ends the demo on a positive note; you can actually comprehend some of the lyrics. Musically, the song offers nothing that the first five tracks didn’t as the demo has little surprises and little to like.

This demo ranks up there on the never listen to again list, with a sound that is repeated again and again. The songs are hard to differentiate from one another as it sounds like one continuous piece and the demo as a whole has very little to offer.

Grade: F+