By:
Daniel Jackson
Album Type: EP/Demo
Date Released: 28/11/2012 |
28/03/2016
(CD Reissue)
Label: Invictus
Productions
If you missed this the first time, as I did, it’s worth going out of
your way to hear. If you’re looking for
a quick way to pigeonhole the band’s sound: think Stockholm in ‘89-’91. “Deus Bonus Est”, clocking in at just shy of
eleven minutes, travels from devastating
death/doom to nasty, thrashing death metal and back again over the song’s
considerable duration. “Demo ‘12” serves
as a reminder that the orthodox, when done well enough, can be just as exciting
and satisfying as a band trying something different. But again, quality is key,
and there just aren’t many bands that can match Deathcult for quality in this
style.
“Demo ‘12” CD//DD track listing:
1.
Intro
2.
Deathcult
3.
Beasts of Faith
4.
Deus Bonus Est
5.
Summoned (CD Bonus Track)
Deathcult is:
O.
Ketzer | Guitar, Vocals
P.
Nekros | Guitar
M.
Goathammer | Drums
Diaboli
| Bass
The Review:
“Why
are you writing about a four year old demo, you dumb fuck!”
you yell at your screen, strangely having chosen to click on the review anyway.
“Because
I missed it the first time, not being into cassettes. It fucking rules, though!,
I shout back, having somehow managed to hear you through the internet.
Stupid,
self-concocted scenarios aside, this review is happening because “Demo ‘12” is being released on CD after
only being available on cassette previously. If you missed this the first time,
as I did, its worth going out of your way to hear. If you’re looking for a
quick way to pigeonhole the band’s sound: think Stockholm in ‘89-’91. But, that
also does the band a disservice, as there’s plenty going on, and the material
has a unique personality of its own.
Look
no further than the gargantuan “Deus
Bonus Est”, clocking in at just shy of eleven minutes. The song travels
from devastating death/doom to nasty, thrashing death metal and back again over
the song’s considerable duration. It works surprisingly well from top to
bottom, greatly aided by some extra melody in the song’s latter stages. The
songs that surround the demo’s giant original closing track are a bit more by
the numbers, but they’re done so well, that it’s difficult to find fault with
any of it. There’s a rock n’ roll quality to a song like “Beasts of Faith” that shows that Deathcult
have a bit more personality than the average OSDM band, and it’s a swagger that
permeates a big chunk of the demo as a whole, though its presence isn’t quite
as strong elsewhere.
While
Deathcult might not have taken home the sort of accolades
that more adventurous counterparts like Morbus Chron or Horrendous have, “Demo
‘12” serves as a reminder that the orthodox, when done well enough, can be
just as exciting and satisfying as a band trying something different. But
again, quality is key, and there just aren’t many bands that can match Deathcult for quality in this style.
