Demiurg

Slakthus Gamleby

Written by: EW on 15/10/2010 15:51:58

Demiurg are one of the more recent death metal projects of the ultra-active Dan Swanö, Rogga Johansson and Ed Warby, here on album number three "Slakthus Gamleby" following releases 2007 and 2008. Ultra-active they undoubtedly are but even before listening to this record, having never heard any Demiurg beforehand, I was reticent as to what another death metal project from these veterans could offer that I haven't before from any number of their more illustrious (and lesser-known) projects and now, a few listens down the line my thoughts haven't changed a great deal.

It feels all too easy to roll out the old journalistic cliche claiming the experience of "Slakthus Gamleby"'s main protagonists divides this band from numerous other mid-league death metal bands but even listening to the confident and mild-mannered riffing in the likes of "The Cold Hand Of Death", it's really not. We all known of similar and younger bands sounding just as perfunctory early on in a career and thus we are left with a palette of decent old-school death metal suited to pleasing ardent fans of the genre but offering little to the likes of myself looking only for top-level quality to feel excitement for the DM of today. Naturally, to anyone who's heard Edge of Sanity, surely Dan Swanö's most celebrated band, he wasn't going to allow this release to pass without adding a few flourishes which comes in the form of some unexpected female vocals (rarely do these two words please my ears, form that continues there) and some gentle keyboard inclinations. Both factors keep themselves intentionally innocuous, but in this fact lies the problem that the album as a whole is too vanilla to pull any strong feelings at a time when I have other more vigorous DM releases to be checking out.

Loathe am I to question the work of Dan Swanö for his integrity and dedication to (death) metal remains second to none, but I get the impression that "Slakthus Gamleby" is released in the name of satisfying deathly cravings from all involved than any concerted attempt to tear the scene a new whole. Demiurg are here as a reassuring reminder to all of the sound of honest Swedish death metal, but I don't expect I'll select "Slakthus Gamleby" too often when the need for some sturdy death metal comes along.

6

Download: World Burial, Travellers Of The Vortex, The Cold Hand Of Death
For the fans of: Edge of Sanity. Gorefest, Bloodbath
Listen: Myspace

Release date 30.07.2010
Cyclone Empire Records

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