By John Bedard
When I saw that the press info said this was for fans of Children Of Bodom, I knew I was in for a treat. Melodic death metal is such a complex genre from a rather simple concept. It manages to be able to keep your attention heavily focused when you are trying to analyze it for meaning but also if played in the background it blends nicely into whatever task you are doing. I don’t find that many other genres do this well. Most people are not going to listen to Beethoven’s Ninth while driving a race car around the track – and most people won’t listen to dubstep while sipping wine and unwinding after work. The melodic elements here make it work for the winds down or the analytical mind trying to dissect what is going on and the death metal element keeps a fast, aggressive pace that makes anything badass. Even if you are just sitting there in bunny slippers with cheap wine. ‘Demonology’ is everything I would expect from the genre and a little more.
On to the music. It’s wonderful! There is a lot of evolution throughout every track. All the way from the usual high-octane double kick peddles and fast distorted guitar down to a Spanish style picking on an acoustic guitar. While most of the album stays up in the more aggressive range this contrast is really enjoyable and shows the range of the band of perfectly. It is very well thought out and makes the whole experience feel very intentional. A story is told through the music alone to a point where instrumentally I think the album would still carry all the same emotions as it does with vocals. Not that I would be willing to give up those vocals though.
The vocals are wonderfully aggressive. There is a harsh distortion in the screamed vocals that really digs down to your core. The backup vocals take a more growled heavier tine making for a wonderful contrast between the higher scream and the lower. This gives a lot of depth to the vocals that is hard not to enjoy.
All in all, this is one hell of an album and it would be a damned shame if you missed out on it. If you are even mildly a fan of the genre or any genre even close to it then this is a must-listen. I think this will convert a lot of new fans to the genre as well. It is complex yet still approachable. With every track, there is this wonderful evolution that will continue to give you something to think about. Check this one out. You will be happy you did.
- ‘Demonology’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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