For I Am King – Daemons (Redfield Records)
Wednesday, 25th May 2016
Those looking for melody within their otherwise aggressive death metal would do wise to give For I Am King a listen. Hailing from the Netherlands, their first full-length Daemons is the kind of album that and combines familiar elements and fuses them together in a way that feels fresh and invigorating. Relentless, catchy, and definitely going to catch some people off guard.
Taking the best qualities from Arch Enemy, At the Gates, and The Duskfall, Daemons is soaked from start to finish with drool-inducing melodies that are backed by sheer adrenaline. Sure, the band is straight-shooting down the Slaughter of the Soul territory at times, but it comes down to the energy and presence here – which is notably impressive from such a relatively new act. Triumphant harmonies that ring out on a song such as “Breathe the Fire” are the type that many only hope to achieve. Yet For I Am King manages to pull out at least one of these showstoppers in each track. There’s a slow and majestic harmony in “Hades,” sore neck mid-tempo thrashers like “Faust,” and galloping fury on “Tantalus.” Plenty of variety to keep you on your toes, and it’s all held together by the venomous screams of vocalist Alma Alizadeh. Her caustic vocals succeed in somehow making the music a little bit heavier and meld together effectively with the surrounding instruments.
A debut that seemed to come out of nowhere, For I Am King sets themselves up as a force to be reckoned with on Daemons. Those looking for that classic, frenetic rush of melodic death with none of the modern trappings of clean vocal melodies will find this to be a joyous discovery. Daemons is all about the riffs and melodies, and they succeed highly in bringing them to your attention.
