Demon Hunter are back. The Metal legends from Seattle are back with a huge release. These days, bands tend to put out EPs rather than albums. The Demon gang had a different idea, releasing two albums on the same day, harking back to ‘Use Your Illusion’. Therefore, 1st March sees ‘War’ and ‘Peace’ come out.
The genius marketing here is that each album is different in its approach. ‘War’ sees the band go hard with more of a metalcore vibe, whilst ‘Peace’ walks a more melodic Metal path. Either way, both album is pretty damn impressive!
‘War’ at its most visceral is a healing dose of metalcore with Ryan Clark stripping paint with his growls. The hard edge of songs such as “The Negative” make it a deeply compelling piece of art. It feels like they are testing where they can push the limits of artistic endeavour. However much ‘War’ screams at the world, Demon Hunter never forget melody and songs such as “Close Enough” and “Grey Matter” are fantastic slices of melodious Metal. “Grey Matter” may well be my favorite song on ‘War’ with its judicious use of keyboards and a hypnotic vocal, which madly reminds me of some Sixties bands. The soloing is exceptional too on this song – so good.
Suffice to say, ‘War’ jacked my chords and made me excited for new music in 2019. However, ‘Peace’ really ups the ante for me and is likely to be high in my Top Ten for the yearm even in February.
If you believe that clean singing is heresy in Metal, then ‘Peace’ may not press your squeeze box. It a phenomenal collection of songs that I have fallen madly in love with.
Out of the gate, ‘Peace’ swims in melodies that bounce around your brain like bottle rockets. “More Than Bones” sweet talks you into submission. Again, Clark shows what an exceptional singer he is. Wonderful stuff.
Great songs tumble from your speakers and you will only be able to stand and stare in disbelief when tunes like “Peace” captivate your soul. I love the way in which the production is warm and powerful throughout and where growls are kept to a minimum. This is what Classic Metal should be all about. The sparing use of keyboards also adds to the classy feel.
Demon Hunter are back and producing the greatest music of their career.
