DEMONOID - SWEDEN

DEMONOID - RIDERS OF THE APOCALYPSE - NUCLEAR BLAST
Demonoid is an unlikely band. The scene is inhabited by a couple of different variations as far as side-projects go. There are the repetitious clones bent on capturing old glories. Bands like Bloodbath and Murder Squad fall into this category and it is no surprise that the said outfits disappoint for various reasons including a lack of true feeling. Another type of side-project is the offbeat one. Bands like Avantasia or Star One fulfill the members' vision of performing something different and specialized.
Demonoid is a side-project of three members of Therion, and a drummer, and is surprisingly a hell of a strong band with great metal songs. The surprise really is the nature of the members' main band. For Therion is a wimped-out and washed-out band whose members were all written off here at Metallian Towers. The drummer is also busy in a mallcore band with little relevance. Then the members fill their down time by writing and recording an album as good as this. And good it is. Take vocals like those of Satyricon,.solos crossing Deicide and Dokken (not kidding here) and a sharp rhythm a la Pantera only more serious and Demonoid starts to come into focus. The music here is mysteriously fast, fluid and adept. The guitars, in particular, are out of this world. On songs like Witchburners and The Evocation one hears soloing of the highest caliber. Dokken fans will hear much that is familiar. Arrival Of The Horsemen's solo is pure hard rock heaven and then comes in a Pantera-inspired heavy rhythm to augment the track. There are songs like 14.th Century Plague which come across as filler and the album is generally instrumentally-oriented despite the anti-religion concept story, but songs like the nine-minute long Death or Wargods make this a speed/death metal album of highest proportions with special appeal to axe fanatics. Riders Of The Apocalypse is aural dynamite. Who knew these guys had it in them? - Ali "The Metallian"