FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

 

      
   
   
       
       

Black Devil Lies

    
       
       
       
     
             
Demonhead are a thrash/traditional heavy metal band from Australia formed in 2007, releasing the six song E.P. 'Demonology 101' in 2011. The bands debut album 'Bring On The Doom' was released in 2015, with their sophomore album 'Black Devil Lies', a 2019 release.    
             
Over the last few years there has been some fucking great heavy metal to come from the land down under...Australia. There has been a recent glut of amazing albums by Australian heavy metal bands such as Matterhorn, Horizons Edge, PurEnvy, Carbon Black, Temtris, Harlott, and gothic metallers The Creptter Children, and now Demonhead. Delivering a thunderous groove laden thrash metal influenced traditional style, 'Black Devil Lies' hits harder than one thousand wrecking balls. Opening with 'Against The Grain', the album is off to barnstorming start, the heavy guitars laying the foundations for a bruising and brutal barrage of pulsating metal. With touches of anger, aggression and angst, 'Against The Grain' hammers hard, yet has enough melodic vibe to keep more heavy metal than thrash metal. 'Betrayal Avenged' picks up the pace and steams ahead at full tilt, the groove in full swing...the catchiness of 'Betrayal Avenged' belying the bands very heavy, thrash metal style roots. A definite foot on the monitor gallop, 'Betrayal Avenged' will appeal equally to fans of traditional heavy metal and thrash. Lowering the pace to an almost doom metal stomp, 'The Ritual' is a menacing march of heavy guitars that buzz like a chainsaw felling trees. In the space of just the three opening songs, Demonhead have displayed a lot of heavy, a lot of groove and an immense amount of catchy.    
             
And here comes a scorcher of a song - 'Children Of The Night' speeding into life and thundering on like a full force hurricane. I dunno what Demonhead have been eating, or even drinking, but whatever it is, has given the band an abnormal amount of groove. 'Children Of The Night' is an infectious romp, a barrage of heavy riffing, yet also so fucking catchy! How do they do it? Fuck knows, but however they do it, just keep doing it... 'Blood Debt' takes on a more darker mood than anything heard so far, a more growling vocal performance than anything heard so far, yet loses nothing of the albums overall addictiveness. 'Blood Debt' also has a cracking guitar solo to boot. The albums title song 'Black Devil Lies' is an energetic and bombastic up tempo rampage of raucous riffing. Heads will be nodding hard, and feet stamping harder, as 'Black Devil Lies' romps on by. Majestic and melodic is the opening to 'Eyes Of The Insane', a tall and proud swagger of monster riffs, turning into a thundering gallop of fury as it steams on by.    
             
I mentioned it earlier, but where on Earth do Demonhead get their heaviness from? Is it a secret stash they've been accumulating for years, and are now unleashing it with wild abandon through their new album? Let's hope they still have plenty left... And yes they most certainly do, the pace quickening with the full tilt 'Zombocalypse', treading into the thrash metal genre as it whizzes on by. An absolute furious gallop, 'Zombocalypse' is the stuff head bangers dream of, the ferocious pace allowing for extreme head banging. 'Double Cross The Dead' is basically thrash metal infused NWOBHM, with more than just a smidgeon of groove. Throughout the entire album, Demonhead have threaded groove into every song on offer. Final song on the album 'Face Your Demons', is a menacing and terrifying mid tempo thrash offering. The heaviest groove on the album, 'Face Your Demons' displays the type of buzz sounding guitars that evolved through the NWOBHM movement during the eighties. If you're a fan of Panetra style groove metal, you are gonna love this album.    
             
Overall, a heavy and thunderous journey of traditional heavy metal come thrash metal with an immense amount of groove woven in between.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Black-Roos Entertainment    
             
Review is also featured at Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Top