EP REVIEW: The Final Tyranny – Demon King
Newly formed trio DEMON KING have introduced the world to their particular brand of blackened technical death metal with their new EP The Final Tyranny. The comeback project of original ENFOLD DARKNESS guitarist Matt Brown and boasting a line-up containing musical resumes of a stalwart pedigree, including ex-members of INFERI and VITAL REMAINS, there is a great hum of well-deserved expectation about this release, one which professionals such as these can surely cope with…
DEMON KING come streaking out of the gate with Tyrannical Reign Of The Deceiver. Clearly this is their attempt at gripping the listener immediately and it is extraordinarily effective. A menagerie of influences is on display here, with the track snapping back and forth between highly technical death metal straights interwoven with more atmospheric black metal passages, even including a keyboard interlude overlaid with dramatic vocals, reminiscent of some of EMPEROR’s more theatrical moments.
This melding of influences carries on throughout the EP, as second track Invoking The Spirit of Chaos showcases the bands ability to write fiercely technical, yet importantly still discernible and digestible death metal. It slams the listener around at utterly breakneck speed, but does not get mired down in needless complexity. While this is a pitfall that can so often claim death metal bands who lean into the technical side of the genre, clearly DEMON KING are competent enough songwriters to steer well clear of this trap while still allowing their sheer musicianship to shine through.
Third track, Transmutation Of The Artilect, is possibly the EP’s finest moment. It begins with a mid paced, proggy lurcher of a riff before bleeding effortlessly into some truly stirring blackened death metal tremolo insanity. It revisits the proggier riffs and even throws sweeping, mournful keyboards and dramatic, Ihsahn-esque clean vocals into the mix. The track is arguably the most accessible on offer, drenched in melody and at times sounding almost bright, it would make an excellent starting point to anyone wishing to experience what this band has to offer.
The Final Tyranny draws to a thunderous close with the wonderfully titled The Watcher, Wreathed in Flame. Once again while the track begins with a degree of complexity, it is an exercise in utterly crushing riffs and solos, constantly changing and writhing, clinging to a framework made by some incredibly technical drum work, screeching wildly between savagely fast and technical blastbeats to an almost jazzy segment towards the endpoint, before melting away into an excellent, slow-burning outro. By the end of this it would be next to impossible, regardless of opinion regarding genre or structure, to deny that the talent on display by every member of this band is almost unbelievable at times.
DEMON KING are definitely one to watch. They have shown in their debut that they are capable of providing something rare indeed, technical blackened death metal that is neither overcomplicated or ill-considered. It is firmly apparent that every aspect of this EP has been thoroughly thought through and structured for maximum possible impact. With an introduction like this, it can only be assumed what great and terrible delights DEMON KING are preparing for their first album, as if this is a recipe that they are about to refine and improve then we should all be shaking in our boots when it finally rears it’s ugly head.
Rating: 7/10
The Final Tyranny is out now via The Artisan Era.
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