I really wanted to like this. After all, it’s on Profound Lore Records, features the legendary Dan Lilker (Nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth), members of doom act Orodruin and they play a totally old school form of death/black/thrash metal culled straight from the early wave of extreme acts likes of Venom, Celtic Frost, Nifelhiem, Sodom, Bathory and such.

So what’s not to like? Basically, the vocals of Ron Blackwell (the only member not in another band, so the effort reeks of favors from the other members) almost ruins the material for me. Whil certainly old school, his drunken, slurring throaty yell, just kills it for me, no matter old school they sound which is a shame as, riff and atmosphere wise, Demon Haunted World is chock full of raw, old school, late 80s metal moments with a dash of old death metal a la Autopsy (just listen to the start of closer “Anus Mundi”) and more recently Death Breath. The sound is the complete opposite of most of today’s polished pro tools, triggered metal, instead reveling in sloppy, crusty, primal throes that are enjoyable. When Blackwell isn’t singing.

Had this thing had some slightly more extreme and darker vocals (which Blackwell does deliver here and there), the overall result would have been far more satisfying, and especially when you consider the grasp the other band members have on the presentation of the old school sound. The scrawling, punky guitar work on tracks like “Skull Smashing Face Ripping Death”, “Honor”, “Curse Of The Plasma Hound”, “Witchgrip” and Autopsy worshipping duo of “Tumefaction” and “Witchgrip” might be some of the best retro metal riffage to surface recently that’s not just thrash worship or forced.

Still, though even with the off-putting (but not quite album ruining vocals), right down to the creepy interlude to “Neon Corpse”, is far more retro than many bands that simply think slapping an Ed Repka cover on a CD and wearing some denim is throwback. These guys get it and cement it with a cover of Angel Witch’s “Angel of Death”.

[Visit the band's website]

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