Demos are often tricky things: sometimes they can be complete, connected works, other times a showcase for the breadth of the bands vision. It also helps if you can persuade one of your established musician mates to help out with the mixing and mastering. In the case of Sweden's Them this is showcase time and the help of Lord Belial bassist Bloodlord.
Them. Well as I'm old I of course thought of giant radioactive ants but I suppose its more of a King Diamond reference. Anyway they are David Andersson and Andreas Faldt, both ex-Skin Infection, and the as yet not recorded drummer Micke Backelin also of Lord Belial. The latter ends up being oddly important as the first weakness of this demo is the (I assume) drum machine which to these ears is an unfortunate flat trigger beast. The sooner the full line-up records together the better.
They say they want to create a BM atmosphere influenced by “horror films and authors like Lovecraft, Poe etc.” and this is their second demo. It starts in nice driving fashion with 'Blood Revelation' which has a good hard and fast power metal riff with a nice melodic BM attack turning on the malevolent feel with only the rather redundant film samples unhorsing the flow for a moment.
'Unhallowed' itself is next. Taking down the speed a couple of notches with chains rattling over an Emperor-esque melodic intro, it suddenly roars into life on a dark, thunderous riff and great howling nightwind vocals. With some melodic backing vocals, more of those heavy metal guitar lines striding through and no samples this is a cracking, cold song.
Unfortunately 'Ave Satana' begins with the nanny suicide from the Omen and sprinkles more between the Dies Irae style choral sound; all of which is a shame because in-between these parts there's a bit of an angry wolverine of a song fighting to get out of the mess.
'Demoniac Crescendos' is a re-recording of a song from their first demo which throws in a much choppier DM style but still with those good melody lines and a curious, almost CoF 'Cradle To Enslave' atmosphere lurking sinister in the background. Bouncy and pounding and writhing its another good song.
Which only leaves 'Ravenous'. Now this is almost indescribable but I'll do my best: Imagine the last song on an Immortal album being a guest instrumental song from some Gaelic folk metal band doing a lilting lament over the sounds of sobbing. No, I haven't a clue either. But, hell, if the damned thing didn't grow on me when I remembered that weird little Robert Carlisle cannibal film of the same name.
So a bit of a mixed bag and I detected little Lovecraft or Poe herein but when they're good (Unhallowed, Demoniac Crescendos, Ravenous) they are very good and they also managed that "WTF?!" moment with Ravenous that is always a pleasure. Be good to hear what they do when they get together with their drummer.
http://www.myspace.com/themdemoniac
