Demiser – Slave to the Scythe
Release Date: 23rd August 2024
Label: Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Thrash, Black Metal, Death Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Heavy Metal.
FFO: Venom, Bathory, Slayer, Motorhead, destroyer 666.
Review By: Rick Farley
When a band combines old school black metal, thrash, and traditional heavy metal (NWOBHM), my ears tend to perk up and I eagerly pay attention. When that same band list their names as Demiser the Demiser – occult liturgic blasphemy; Gravepisser – six stringed satanic fukklord; Phallomancer – abysmal rhythm of death; Defiler – dismal baritone curator; and infestor – purveyor of percussive bile, I get the feeling I am in for something pretty fucking special. Easily, the nastiest, funnest, dirtiest, hell wielding, debauchery of an album you will hear all year. Demiser – Slave to the Scythe, set for release on the mighty Metal Blade records, is the bands wicked, destroy everything in its path musically, sophomore release.
Emerged from the depths of South Carolina’s primordial ooze, Demiser recorded this ripping monster in the summer of 2023 with Chase McGuckin of Seaboard Recording Studio at the helm. First and foremost, Slave to the Scythe sounds fucking raunchy and alive. There’s an undeniable energy that comes through the recording and the bands performance that transcends the intensity of the music. Originally formed in 2017 with the sole intent of getting free beer and playing brutally heavy music, Demiser is now on the cusp of raising a few severed heads in the air and claiming blackened heavy metal victory.
Slave to the Scythe is a total blast of aggression, speed, and ferocity. First wave thrashy black metal with heavy metal leanings makes for a maliciously good time with the intent of just cutting yourself fucking loose, banging your head and worshipping Satan. You know, the way heavy metal is supposed to be. Memorable, evil, and easy to summon malevolent demons with. This record feels like hellfire actually being unleashed upon your weak, puny existence. Strap up kid.
Feast opens the record with a cool snare drum pattern that kicks into a fast-paced double kick pedal bashing before it fully erupts into jagged speed metal, sweltering leads, and enough menacing personality to please even the blackest of old school gatekeepers. Harsh growly vocals are still mostly intelligible and fit the music to a fucking tee. A groovy, swaggering midsection leads into crunchy riff territory with more ripping, roaring solos. Perfect opening track to bloody your friends nose up from a wicked “accidental” pit punch.
Infernal Bust which happens to be the embedded video in this review features leather, spikes, badass beards, growling thrash metal, a chainmail hood, and sunglasses. Yup, they are that fucking cool. As the kids say these days, total fucking banger.
Closing track In Nomine Baphomet is an eight-minute ride into the depths of hell. Full of gnarly, grindy black metal, thrashy speed, serrated crunchiness, and bad attitude. Guitars writhe through melodic and catchy to sneering and sickening in a split second. The rhythm section is punchy one minute and full-on junky adrenaline the next. If you need one track to represent the band in all its havoc wreaking glory, this is the one.
Slave to the Scythe is easily a shining achievement of the nasty sprit of heavy metal in all its extremes. Unafraid to represent the old school’s devilish way of metal and still be modern enough to fit in anywhere today. This is absolutely a face melter. Hail Demiser!
(5 / 5)
