Thursday 17 March 2016

Deathcult - "Demo '12" EP (Review)

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.

Demo ‘12” is available digitally here and a CD copy here



Band info: Facebook