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Demigod: Shadow mechanics

17/07/03 || Lord K Philipson

After what feels like a century, an old favorite band of mine returns. Finnish band Demigod released “Slumber Of Sullen Eyes” back in ‘92 on the Spain based Drowned Productions label. (Ok, so I actually liked the band so much I remembered the label, country, title and year off the top of my head. Shoot me.)

Out of the complete fucken blue, Demigod returns with a new album titled as you can read above. So how do they sound 10 years later? I’m telling you, I had great expectations for this one. I thought the band had broken up a few days after the release of their debut album, so this release was a surprise to me to say the least.

Ok. It’s death-ish and at times not so death-ish. They have new vocalists (yeah, multiple) after old chap Esa Lindén (also the mastermind behind the band back in the day) quit back in ‘98. There are probably loads of other new members as well, I don’t care to check any further into that. Some parts of this album remind me of Demigod as I remember them in their glory, but most don’t. A song like “Crimson Tears” is not Demigod to me. Fucken accoustic guitars and clean vocals. They used to be a full-on death metal assault with a drummer using the weirdest hi-hat technique I ever heard. For some reason, it was very enjoyable, you would have to hear it to understand what I mean.

There are cool riffs splattered all over this album, but not very memorable SONGS actually. I guess I expected a little too much. I’m not too impressed. It’s a decent death metal album for sure, but they have definitely not succeeded in beating the crap out of the debut, that’s for sure as well.

They can play, but so can Fear Factory, so that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. They have a death metal vocalist with no personality whatsoever. Just another vocalist in line who needs to take lessons from Jörgen Sandström. It’s an okay album, nothing more. I think they should have changed name actually, as Demigod will forever be “Slumber Of Sullen Eyes” to me and loads of others.

So what am I saying here? Should you buy it? I think not. Should you steal it? Nah, it’s not worth being arrested for. Should you download it and give it a listen? Yeah, you should, and after that you can delete it.

That is EXACTLY what I will do now.
Delete it.

And for some points… well… it’s competent death metal or something like that, so I’ll give it a 4 out of 10. “Slumber Of Sullen Eyes” gets a 7 and a 1/2 by the way, but considering when it was recorded, I should give it a 8. But I won’t. I strongly recommend you do get the debut album, it’s a fine piece of deathmuzak.

“Shadow Mechanics”, you can do without.

4/10

Information
Released: 2002
Label: Spikefarm
Website: www.demigod.xrs.net
Band
Seppo Taatila: drums
Jussi Kiiski: guitars
Tero Laitinen: guitars
Sami Vesanto: bass
Ali Leinio: vocals
Tuomas Ala-Nissila: vocals
Mika Haapasalo: vocals

Tracklist
01. My Blood Your Blood
02. In The Mirrors
03. Lost Within
04. Where The Shadows Clash
05. Trail Of Guilt
06. Gates Of Lamentation
07. Silent With Earth
08. Derailed
09. Crimson Tears
10. Drifting
11. Burning

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