29 March 2024

Demon Head – Hellfire Ocean Void

Label: Svart Records
Releasedate: 22-02-2019

There is something intriguing and beautiful about classical ‘heavy metal/hard rock’ bands who integrate occult and dark elements into their music. Demon Head happens to be one of those bands. Formed in 2012, these demon lovers from Denmark has three releases so far, with the latest one being “Hellfire Ocean Void”. As a relatively new fan, I discovered this band when they toured with Magna Carta Cartel on autumn 2018. Fast forward to 2019 and surely my expectations of this new release were high.

Revolving around the classical metal style, “Hellfire Ocean Void” delivers the darkness that is very well integrated in the record, especially the doom and the raw occult elements are the key highlights that will captivate the listener from the beginning. These elements form a nice contrast with the dynamic drumming and the colorful vocals. Combined with the lyrics and the guitar solos, the album offers a nice mosaic that will surely entertain the listeners.

One highlight that caught me by surprise is how doom-y the record gets towards the end. There is quite a difference between the two parts of the album; the first half offers the classical style of the band whereas the tempo slows down in the second half as the highlight becomes this doom side. What would have made the record perfect for me would be some twists and turns, or little surprises that would catch the listener by surprise. Surely, on one hand, the record in general is quite consistent, which is a good thing, but a bit of ‘doing the unconventional thing here and there’ would have made / make Demon Head stand out more. That being said, I will probably spin this record definitely a lot more in the future and will be looking forward to the future gigs of the band!

“Hellfire Ocean Void” is a great gem for the lovers of the dark / occult side of heavy metal. Definitely one of my favorites of 2019.

Line up:

  • J.W. – drums
  • M.S.F. – bass
  • B.G.N. – guitar
  • T.G.N. – guitar
  • M.F.L. – vocals

Tracklist
01. Rumours
02. The Night Is Yours
03. A Flaming Sea
04. In The Hour of the Wolf
05. Labyrinth
06. Strange Eggs
07. Death’s Solitude
08. Mercury and Sulphur

Links:

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Bandcamp