Italian black/death metal band Demonomancy enters their tenth year of existence in 2018 and has marked that occasion with the release of their second full length Poisoned Atonement. This follow-up has been a long time coming, as Throne of Demonic Proselytism came out in the summer of 2013, but it’s clear that in the years that have passed the band has continued to fine tune their craft. While the base of their material still pulls from bestial riffing and a bottom heavy sound that falls somewhere between Beherit/Archgoat and Black Witchery/Blasphemy, the way that these songs spread outwards and shift between ideas gives the album a feel of its own. With a sound that displays a more nuanced attack than previously without sacrificing intensity, this is a strong showing from a band that’s able to stand out in a crowded space.
Where a lot of groups that fall into the black/death spectrum have let their albums be dominated by a sheer wall of sound, Demonomancy takes a more nuanced approach that puts the riffs front and center. There are still plenty of moments where the tempo whips up into intense blasting and the sound becomes dense and murky enough that it feels like it’s going to completely overwhelm you, but just as many where things slow down and the dark, ritualistic atmosphere floods in. One of the biggest differences is how prominent the bass lines are throughout Poisoned Atonement, which not only add a considerable amount of weight to the already bottom heavy recording but contribute a good deal of grit and grime as well. This really feels like a perfect cross between the evil and hellish tonality of early black/death metal and the relentless onslaught of war metal, but the compositions provide enough twists and turns to not fall too closely into either style. Admittedly with the way that Demonomancy structures their songs does lead to some sections that come across as a bit too similar towards the end of the album, but the overall strength of the writing results in plenty of stand-out moments that will keep listeners coming back.
Another area where Poisoned Atonement distinguishes itself is in the vocal performance, which covers a considerable amount of ground. This is evident right from the start of “Fiery Herald Unbound (The Victorious Predator)” which has a high pitched shriek that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mercyful Fate album that leads directly into harsh growling. The screams and growls don’t stick with the same pitch throughout each song, often moving higher and lower as needed to generate the most intensity possible. It helps that two of the three members contribute vocals and harmonize at specific moments to tower over the recording. This type of metal has a tendency to emphasize repetition to its vocal work, with similar growls and screams dominating entire albums, but Demonomancy delivers a versatile performance.
Poisoned Atonement finds Demonomancy combining bestial aggression with nuanced attacks that focus on a darker, tense atmosphere. Although the songwriting’s approach of moving between mid-tempo and faster blasting results in a few similar moments by the end of the album, there’s still a lot of substance to make this one of the year’s highlights. A decade in, these guys are at the top of their game and are able to blur the lines between black and death metal in a way that is truly enticing. Poisoned Atonement is available from Invictus Productions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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