Ever feel like melodic death metal really needs a good dose of adrenaline to get it back into the splendor it once was? Back when bands like Soilwork produced The Chainheart Machine, Dark Tranquillity launched The Mind’s I, and Arch Enemy unleashed Black Earth, there was some genuine bite to the genre (not to mention Slaughter of the Soul) before it became watered down with sing-a-long choruses and “jump around” chugging groove. Bloodshot Dawn must also be in this camp too, because their second effort (which was funded through Kickstarter) is a raging beast of melodic death metal.
The best complement that can be handed to Demons is that is carries with it that same visceral blend of machine-gun riffing and guitar theatrics that made The Chainheart Machine such a standout offering when it was released (we’ll just say it’s never ventured outside of this scribe’s top five metal albums). This is an album that knows how to properly keep the death in melodic death metal. Never going for the cheap, clean-sung chorus with simplistic hooks, the eight tracks of Demons claw their way into your brain using only the power of intricate melodic riffs and raise-your-horns Arch Enemy-esque soloing. Frequent blasting and some well-placed groove are some additional highlights, aiding tracks like “Black Hole Infinity” to become full-blown monsters. The level of brutality is such that Sven de Caluwe lends his throat to “Human Void” and it feels as natural as if it was an Aborted track. Some other standout tracks are the dreamy solos of “The Image Faded” and the blistering opening of “Consequence Complex.”
Bloodshot Dawn are showing their teeth on Demons and it’s a fun reminder that there’s still some gas left in the tank for melodic death metal. The band has made some serious noise on their own up to this point, and Demons should propel them in the direction of even greater success. Enjoy the rush, as this is a frantic journey that should be savored.