Demon Lung - "A Dracula"
Album Review Format: mp3 streaming
Date Of Release: June 15th, 2015
Record Label: Candlelight Records (UK)
Genre: Doom Metal
Website: http://demonlungband.com/
Tracklist: 1. Rursumque Alucarda
2. Behold, The Daughter
3. I Am Haunted
4. Gypsy Curse
5. Deny The Savior
6. Mark Of Jubilee
7. Rursumque Adracula
8. Raped By The Serpent
Reviewed By: Alan Lisanti
Demon Lung hails from Las Vegas, Nevada. They're the type of
band that has a clear foundation, (in this case Doom), but that is difficult to
classify because of the assorted influences that find their way into the songs
as well. There is a touch of Death Metal, a subtle Gothic undertone in
sections, some Stoner Metal tendencies, and an element of Thrash in the riffing
that crawl their way to the surface in these predominately Doom oriented songs.
The result is an amalgamation of many different sub-genres that manifest into a
unique and well crafted hybrid of heaviness on their most recent release, A
Dracula. The album is 8 songs long, and pulls you in from the moment the
hauntingly beautiful instrumental kicks in on the first track. This opening is
immediately followed by the drawn out assault of heaviness and distortion
starting with the 2nd track, "Behold, The Daughter", and continuing
from there. The songs typically range from 5 to 7 minutes which gives them
plenty of room to breathe and space to venture off into, while never becoming
redundant or stagnant. These are the kind of songs that command your attention
and encourage you to drown out the world and get lost in the music. This is an
album that is best digested from start to finish because of the way the songs
are crafted, and the way the band expands upon their ideas as the music
progresses. There is a refreshing mix of dark melody and heavy riffing here
that manages to walk the fine line between grittiness and good song writing.
The heaviness is never sacrificed for the melody, and the melody never takes
away from the heaviness. Instead, the two are blended in a way that is vocally
reminiscent of Pat Benatar or a lot of the "real" Rock bands from
back in the day, you know when they still had "soul" and "humanity".
Yet, it stands completely on it's own as honest and new in that Shanda sounds
like Shanda, not a rehash or a ripoff, but a unique quality in it's own right,
in her vocal approach. This coupled with the extra sense of heaviness, Metal,
Doom and assorted other influences in the music makes the band and the album
stand on it's own as a strong and creatively original force within a genre that
has seen it's fair share of recycled ideas, and rehash acts. I can hear shades
of Electric Wizard, Orange Goblin, early Lost Paradise era Paradise Lost, and a
lot more in the music, but most of all I just hear Demon Lung. The 4th track,
"Gypsy Curse", alone is worth checking out if you're still unsure.
I'll give this one 9 out of 10 horns. It's worth the listen. In fact, after listening
to this album, I think it needs to be added to the collection.
Score: 9 out of 10 horns
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