From Belfast and playing in the style of Swedish black metal, Imperial Demonic present their debut EP.

You’d expect “The Furnace” to be fiery, and so it is. With riffage worthy of Dark Funeral and screams and horror to match, the delivery could come from Dimmu Borgir’s “Enthroned Darkness Triumphant” or similar. This imperious song drives us along and leads us to a path of malevolence. The evil and relentless atmosphere of the swamping “Ways of the Secular Flesh” again comes from Dark Funeral’s “Diabolis Interium” album. The chain gang chants while ”The Path of Night” builds up in its sinister way. The vocalist spits out his tale of evil. The riff is persistent and contemptuous, reflecting a cold and unforgiving world. The maelstrom shows no sign of going away. Blasting drums and unbridled fire accompany the poetry of chaos and death emanating from the vocalist. It all adds up to an imperious scene. Imperial Demonic mix it up a bit on “Dawn of the Infernal Age” with a tribal drum section but maintain the venom, seamlessly reverting to fire and brimstone. “Beneath the Crimson Eclipse” combines blastbeating, screams and the customary withering riff. The story telling is akin to Carach Angren, with whom Imperial Demonic share a sense of theatricality. The comparisons with Dark Funeral and Dimmu Borgir remain meanwhile, but let’s give credit to Imperial Demonic themselves for creating something so dynamic.

I don’t mind a band sounding like someone else if they are good, and Imperial Demonic are that. From a listening point of view, the songs are fluid and the structures are solid. Above all, Imperial Demonic maintain an intensity of atmosphere so there is no room for doubt in their evil and fiery world.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/imperialdemonic

https://imperialdemonicblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-crimson-eclipse