Demontage - The Principal Extinction

Demontage “The Prinicipal Extinction”, 2009

Canadian trio Demontage are undoubtedly a heavy metal band but refuse to be easily pinned down into a sub-genre.  It’s still probably possible, as everyone seems to have lost count of how many splinter categories metal now has.

The openining song “Entourage of Demon’s Dances” starts off as a rampaging Motorhead inspired punk tinged metal complimented with gruff grunting and then later in the song there is a high pitched scream, which the band take as their cue to slow down to a more traditional pace.  Confusing matters more the second song “Accursed Saboteur” opens and closes with Maiden style riffing but when the vocals start the Bathory influence is clear.   Symphonic black metal gets a quick airing in the intro to the title track which slows down to ballad speed complete with high pitched squeaks with some speedy guitar playing that makes it clear that these guys have had classical music training.  The tempo changes here are bound to cause more traditional metal fans to scratch their heads as often there’s no telling what this three-piece will do next.  “The Malignant Paradigm” aims to give a fair and square kicking knocking teeth out and causing further grevious bodily harm with its quick heavy blackened riffs complemented with gruff vocals.  The gentle instrumentation introduction of “Satan of Self (The Warrior)&Seer of Truths (The Conjurer)” counters the brutalness and the sandpaper vocals are offset with actual singing within the song.  Guitar bridges with complex structures move all over the place and often keep the listener guessing. Although all six tracks tend to be on the long side, the band avoids falling into the trap of being unnecessarily repetitive or just plain boring.

 If you’re a black metal fan looking to convert your traditonal metal friends to your music of choice, on evidence of “”The Principal Extiction” Demontage.  Hell, I know it’s unlikely but just maybe they could convert the more closed-minded fans of black metal to more traditional metal too.

3.5/5

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