Demonic Resurrection- The Return To Darkness

Beginning with Between Infinity and Oblivion, a track that builds up an air of suspense with the quiet yet sinister sound of violins, as an introduction to the startling hurricane of blastbeats and guitar riffs that comprise its following tracks, Demonic Resurrection’s latest album, The Return to Darkness, is a deadly blend of symphonic choruses, flowing guitar solos, melodic keyboard lines and powerful vocals. The staccato sound of marching drums as a preclude to the speedy guitaring and even speedier drumming in The Warrior’s Return (pretty apt in context to the song) left me reminiscent of Lord of the Rings meets In Flames meets Satyricon. Where Dreams and Darkness Unite, the second track off The Return to Darkness, sets the tone for the entire album – dramatic echoing choruses and skillful work on the double bass accompanied by low, growling vocals and flying solos on the lead guitar accompanied by a strong, well-thought out rhythm.

On first listen, the intricate technical details coupled with the intense energy of the album are rather over-powering and would leave any listener wondering what just happened; however, Lord of Pestilence with its deep, pensive intro provides some respite and gave me the time to understand what just hit me. The use of symphonic sounds perfectly illuminates the lyrical themes of the album – destiny, the dark unknown and the angst-filled, tortured battles of life, leading to the creation of an album that is neither lacking in emotion nor musical skill.

On the downside though, I feel like I’ve heard all this before. Whether in the riffs of Dismembering the Fallen that left me thinking of Decapitated’s Symmetry of Zero or bursts of Meshuggah-esque off-beats and Alexi Laiho screams, I feel that the beautiful recording, pre-existing hype about Demonic Resurrection and the obvious technical skill of each musician can sometimes serve to conceal the lack of originality that occasionally surfaces. However, I do believe that The Return to Darkness is most definitely worth more than one listen. Tracks to watch out for are The Final Stand, Omega 1 and of course, my personal favourite, The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance for the sneaky, eerie keyboard that suddenly cuts through the chugging guitar riffs and very well-worked drumming that left me in awe and made me wonder what the Demonstealer would cook up next.