Founded in 2014, Demolizer from Denmark arrive with their debut EP Ghoul – content to deliver a mixture of thrash with a bit of groove/death additive to ensure maximum retention. Finding little else to discuss regarding their background, it’s nice to focus solely on what comes out of the speakers – as the cover art of a ‘ghoul’ holding a beer in one hand, cigarette in mouth across a beachside graveyard certainly fosters food for thought.
Immediately upon the first heads down thrash and bash approach for the title track, you can tell the four-piece live for the old school 80’s origins of the movement, the main riffs a mix of Metallica-like attitude and Teutonic / Kreator-ish glory. When it comes to the production, there’s a primitive snare snap and raw guitar/bass quality to these songs, almost as if Ghoul sit things up together in their rehearsal space, pressed play, and ran through the set with little enhancement or second takes to polish things up. The groove factor comes into play during many transitions where the tempo settles into ‘mosh/crossover’ style antics, the type that get crowds very active in the pit (check out the triplet jackhammer crunch during “Get Out of My Way”). Guitarist Ben ‘Polle’ Radtleff along with Aria Mobbarez handle rhythm and lead axe responsibilities, serving up a bevy of speed riffs and more controlled passages, sometimes veering into a doom/groove crawl as in the front half of “Torture, Insanity” before shifting into high gear. The lead work befits Slayer comparisons, divebomb and frantic action that may not necessarily fit in solid context to the main melodies at hand.
Ben also doubles on vocals – and his style could be one of those love/hate things depending on your preferences. He certainly knows how to spew words at the same pace as the structures, and he can equally develop that semi-growl as well as a maniacal scream. During the more traditional sounding “Suicidal Path” (think Maiden and latter-day Megadeth), his growl nature seems out of place when a cleaner, melodic delivery would have worked so much better. There are other times where the band could tighten up a bit of their instrumental structures – they can meander where maybe less would indeed be more for a focused final product.
Demolizer has promise and ability – let’s see where they go on their next venture.