George Ntavelas (from Greece but now residing in the UK) is the sole member behind Demonic Obedience delivering a blackened death metal sophomore that drowns you in a viscous malevolent assault. Opening with “Create The Shapeless” the gentle guitar work has a menacing aura before the track detonates into life with a furious blast that is saturated in grisly density comparable to the likes of Immolation and Incantation. His vocal emanations are guttural with each syllable spilling out in septic desecration linked to the gnarly riffs and drum work which I am not certain is programmed or not as it sounds genuine and enhances each song with its pummelling structure.
Continuing with “Portal Of The Sacred Kan” the track is awash with drum fill as the pulverising riff underpins a track intent on maximum aural damage when the riff break enters. “Impermissible Irreverence” is a two part composition with the second part being added two songs later after the first part which I thought was odd. The first part is high velocity blasting fury with multi-toned vocals being deployed as the growls are mixed with a harsh shrieks of the black metal variety. The second part is similar to the first being outright pulverising as the drums veer dangerously to being out of control and for me that teetering on the edge creates an artificial feel compared to the organic structuring of the rest of the album.
Closing is “Gehenna” which as phenomenal riff and hyper blasting drums which work perfectly for the tracks outright devastation. The drop into a relatively tranquil phase is schizophrenic as the vocals take on a whole new level of animalistic barbarity. There is a lot of top quality death metal that has been released in recent years and this sophomore stands well within the sphere of acts like Ghoulgotha, Discreation, Desolate Shrine and Sulphur Aeon with its crippling riffs and pounding rhythm section. This is repugnant death metal played as it should be with manifest disgust and palpable terror and whilst not ground breaking (hence my score) it is played exceptionally well and steers clear of the modern technical trickery that infests death metal today.
(7.5/10 Martin Harris)
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