Front Beast, a solo-project of Mr. Avenger, hail from Germany and return with their second full length studio album (their debut on Hells Headbangers), which lasts for forty four minutes. Throughout the years, and by means of that debut full length and many other stuff (a compilation, some EP’s and lots of splits, with bands like Hati, Agathocles or Abigail amongst others), the band created a characterising approach, stimulating primal Old School glory above experimental modernism. That pure’n’proud vision has become a trademark and will be reflected on this sophomore full studio album as well, of course.
Demon Ways Of Sorcery stands miles away from modernism, trends or aural gadgets. It brings primal and minimal Black Essence with a huge differentiation in tempo (even though the main part is rather fast and furious). There is a slight implementation of Epic, and with this I mean that a couple of riffs might remind the attention-full listener to the likes of Forgotten Woods, Desaster, Kampfar, Ungod etc.
The sound is of a mostly primitive kind, lovely underground-y, but probably somewhat too under-produced. I don’t care, because I don’t think it bothers; besides, it’s not inferior (which unfortunately is a ‘problem’ for comparable Underground-acts too often), and it does give the whole that raw greatness that characterises this specific blackened approach, of course.
Normally I inspire myself during the writing of a review, but this time I am willing to quote a part of the biographical information sheet that was provided us by the promotion office: ‘damp dungeon atmosphere, crude yet commanding execution, thirsty ‘n’ miserable vocals, an aura of hideousness and unhealthy, and an unselfconscious obeisance of time-honored heavy metal values’. Need any more persuasion?
Indeed, a must for all fans of Nocturnal (another act by Avenger; one of the many, by the way), very early Kreator, Ungod, Sodom, Peste Noire, early Bathory or Forgotten Woods…