ALBUM REVIEW: The Propaganda Machine – Demonstealer
It’d be a tough job to find a more prolific and dedicated metal musician than Sahil Makhija AKA DEMONSTEALER. Over the last two decades he has risen to be one of the most prominent and important forces of the metal scene in India. Quite apart from forming one of the country’s foremost metal bands with DEMONIC RESURRECTION and releasing five albums under that title, Makhija has also grown and developed Demonstealer Records, India’s first metal record label, as well as establishing the first studio dedicated to all things heavy. Alongside this, there is also Resurrection Festival, a recurring music festival showcasing high quality extreme metal acts. When not making his mark in the musical sense, Makhija still thrives on delivering heavy metal outlets to the masses. For those that follow his social media, they will be well aware of his passion for cooking. Yep, DEMONSTEALER has what is quite likely the first metal orientated cooking channel on YouTube, Headbanger’s Kitchen.
That’s an impressive track record by anyone’s standards, however, Makhija has still found the time to cultivate a highly regarded solo career under the DEMONSTEALER name. The revolving roster of musicians has always been impressive since 2008 debut release And Chaos Will Reign, and this has continued with their latest offering The Propaganda Machine. This new eight-track delivery is everything that fans of DEMONSTEALER will have come to expect: symphonic technical death metal executed to a high standard.
It’s a relentless album, an aural assault combining all the elements of tech death into a tight 40-minute package. There is barely time for breath between each track before DEMONSTEALER launches into another crushing riff-driven tour de force. With a line-up featuring members from the likes of TRIPTYKON, NE OBLIVISCARIS and ABORTED, the music on The Propaganda Machine certainly packs a wallop. With introductory track The Fear Campaign there is a symphonic swirl accompanied by powerful blast beats and rapid-fire riffing. The high impact pulse of the metal is classic tech death in its delivery and it is juxtaposed with a melodic line. Led by the keys and swelled by the guitar licks and clean vocals, the chorus sections swell to a catchy level. While this rather sets the tone for the following tracks, this is by no means a boring album.
High points and stand out moments are peppered throughout. The introductory and leading riff of The Art Of Disinformation is a colossal slab of heavyweight death metal, while the melodic guitar solo is arguably one of the finest on the album. Elsewhere, The Anti-National is pummelling in its delivery, a wall of blast beats providing the back drop to ferocious guitars and guttural vocals that spit venom and aggression. Lyrically the album is very up front with its takes on the current state of world affairs. Track titles like those already mentioned as well as the likes of The Great Dictator and the title track leave little room for subtlety. That’s not to say that this is just an angsty rage with a paint-by-numbers approach. There is enough going on to not make the lyrics predictable and the songwriting lends a thoughtful approach to the subject matter. The accompanying music is the sledgehammer conveyance with which they are delivered.
Production wise, it’s a coherent sound across the board. While there is little shift in dynamics or texture changes with each instrument being thrashed to full capacity, the mix lends enough support to differentiate between song structures and instrument layers. This unified sound is no easy feat given that there are several drummers, bassists and guitarists featured throughout the eight tracks. There’s individuality between the songs but they are quite clearly all on the same page. For fans of tech death, there’s a lot of high calibre music to be enjoyed. With the full throttle approach that DEMONSTEALER is known for, this is another one to add to an impressive back catalogue that showcases the unrelenting approach of a highly accomplished metal musician.
Rating: 7/10
The Propaganda Machine is set for release on March 31st via Black Lion Records.
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