Line-up: Matt Smith - vocals, keyboard; Shawn Benson – drums, Jonathan Hinds - guitar, Jared Oldham  - bassguitar, Val Allen Wood- lead guitar

This band was originally Matt Smith´s one-man project. He released his first album “Theocracy” at the end of the year 2003. The album was pretty successful. After that a few people join Matt and the former Theocracy band was born – and it seems to work perfectly. ,,As the World Bleeds“ is their third full-length album plus they released three singles.

Theocracy was a unknown new band for me but after I heard their music I´m keeping it in my computer. I listened this genre long time ago for the last time so I really enjoyed this CD. You can find something interesting in every song and the album is technically pretty good balanced.  Nothing is missing and nothing disturbs you. I like the energy of the guitars and great drums. If I have to say something about Matt´s vocals – it´ s just: “Fucking good!” He is able to work with high falsetto but I have to appreciate really interesting timber in lower keys as well. In some songs you can also hear men chorus which is great epical support. The CD isn´t flat and monotone and for me it is pretty good work. You guys really know what you want to do and how to do it.

If I had to chose one most interesting song, it would be the ninth one ,,Light of the World.“ He had not so original ‘disco‘ beginning but finally the song is really positive and dynamic. Personally I´m interested in how Matt can sing it live. It seems really hard to breath it and you can recognise that on CD it is modified a lot. Drums keep going from beginning till the end and they are supported by simple guitar riffs. Keyboards are dominating mainly in chorus.

Some songs are catchier than the others but it worth to listen to the whole album. It doesn´t matter if you are  hard to please listener or you just want to listen something new - everyone can find something interesting in this album. Personally I´m looking forward to the next album – it´s a pity that Theocracy is so unknown at all. But it exists just for a while and I believe that one day it will be pretty famous.

Here you can find report from Prague gig: www.metalzone.info/index.php?page=reporty&item=230