They Certainly Are High And Mighty
The Joint Chiefs’ “High and Mighty” Review
90%
It certainly takes a decent amount of talent and energy to make your listener feel the need to suddenly jump out of their seat and violently swing their hair and brandish the horns in the comfort of their own home while completely dismissing the perplexed stares of their family members. The Joint Chief's "High and Mighty" is a perfect example of a demo with the ingredients necessary for such an outburst.
"High and Mighty" begins with a promise that what you are about to hear will not be some shitty glam-rock clusterfuck, but something long-haired and angry; Vancouver Island thrash metal at it's finest. Quite honestly, I believe that The Joint Chiefs have kept their word.
As you may have noticed from the lyrics of their first actual song on this demo, they’re not very pleased with the path that the band Metallica happened to take during later on in their musical career. Honestly, I can’t say that I blame them, however this is neither the time nor place to make low-brow jokes about Metallica. This song discusses the beginning of metal for Denton Booth as well as how he followed the band that started it for him only to have it end in both disgust and disappointment, which I’m sure the average metal connoisseur has experienced. I’m thrilled to note, however, that Metallica’s failure in The Joint Chiefs’ eyes did not prevent them from producing something a few tracks short of an incredible album. Thank the proverbial god.
Their third track "Violent Deterrent," written by Denton Booth, opens with a very catchy beat and a down-right adrenaline-pumping holler. It then barrages the audience with pure hatred of oppression and government scare tactics. It goes on to discuss problems with foreign relations, the economy, and how the "nations jockey for the nuclear reign" while managing to remain fast paced and heavy. The lyrics managed to convey their distaste for oppression without sounding whiny and cliché
which has happened many a time with other bands.
"Million Dollar Man" is a song written once again by Denton Booth in true anti-political fashion. The lyrics discussing the flawed election system found in Canada are accompanied by music from Booth and Arlo Poole. The music in question, however, can be described better by referring to it as an ethereal behemoth violently rupturing the earth’s surface only to obliterate the lesser beings.
The fifth track is a lovely little ditty called “WDYT?” This song, with music also co-written by Arlo Poole, brings up the point that most collections of people whom are relied on to provide support and government for Canada seem to have been perverted or to have ulterior motives of some sort. The power of these thoughts is simply strengthened by the introduction to this song in which each of the instruments enter a few seconds after the other allowing you to experience them in all their individual glory. It truly shows you what each musician has to offer the band which is, in my opinion, nothing short of pure thrashing goodness.
This demo ends with a song about cherishing the things that you cannot buy. In this song the guys belt out about their dislike for the pressures advertisements as well as their hatred for society’s atrocious prioritizing. The fact that advertising companies use people’s emotions against them is the catalyst for this explosion of long-haired, drum battering, guitar wailing fury. The Joint Chiefs clearly display their belief that people need to care more about “respect, love and health” than the superficial benefits of life. The only drawback to this song is that they did seem to leave out one essential key to survival which just happens to be the purchasing of The Joint Chiefs “High and Mighty.” Honestly, who could live without it?
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