I would just like to take the time to introduce a guest reviewer that is helping me out by bringing you a more in depth look at some of the albums I will be reviewing. Rob Holden is the bassist of Oshawa, Ontario based metal band Left Hand Creation. They combine all types of metal and make it their own with brutal riffs and gut wrenching vocals. You can like their page here and you should show some support for local bands!
1. Children of Deceit
2. Nourishment Through Bloodshed
3. Imperium Wolves
4. Tongueless and Bound
5. Black Discharge
6. The Manipulation Stream
7. The Deity Misconception
8. Fearmonger
9. Tarnished Gluttony
Demonocracy is JFAC’s third full length album and includes 9 tracks of non-stop pummeling brutality. Being my first time listening to Job For A Cowboy, I expected to be put to sleep with the modern-day deathcore that I had heard JFAC was the master of. Either I was badly misled, or they have completely changed their sound. This album is about as generic technical death metal as it can get; which is right up my alley. Hooray!
Children of Deceit is the first track of the album. Thirty seconds in, you will realize just how technically proficient and laserbeam tight each member of this band is. Holy Shit. Keeping a fast tempo throughout the track, the melodic solos are welcomed and perfectly timed. The vocals are reminiscent of Vader’s lows, and Goatwhore’s highs. Epicness is peaked at roughly 3:00 into this song.
Nourishment Through Bloodshed begins with a double cymbal crash and explodes into a teeth-grinding mid-tempo melody before turning back into the familiar. The ending riffs are higher string let-ring chords, and is not spectacular, but sticks with the listener. Job well done. Imperium Wolves is more of the same, at possibly the slowest pace in the album so far, but still keeps its pounding velocity. The first three tracks will surely be the most popular to the mainstream. Tongueless and Bound begins with the coolest riff of the album, but my excitement turned to disappointment when the next riff sounded just like the last 3 tracks. Black Discharge is a pure headbanger, and cranks the albums heaviness to 11. The next 3 tracks are amazing, but nothing to different from the rest of the album.
Let’s get this straight about Demonocracy: Each member is ridiculously talented, and the production is unmatched. All the ingredients for an ultimate technical death metal album are here. The only missing component is the songwriting. Job For A Cowboy haven’t written a single memorable riff throughout this 40 minute drone of gravity blasts and speed riffs throughout dissonant chord (nearly black metal sounding) outros. Tarnished Gluttony is the last track and is my personal favorite. By far the slowest track on the album, the riffs are eerie and tastefully heavy. The click-dragging drums is the most variation the percussion has shown on the album, and the guitar solo is enough to get anyone’s blood flowing.
Demonocracy is a masterful attempt to break into the world of technical death metal, but it seems the lack of songwriting skills JFAC inherited from their deathcore days have bled into their newer genre as well, and it shows. Though this album is technically very good, I think that most metal fans will have a difficult time getting into it. I see this as a transition period for Job For A Cowboy, and I look forward to see what they do for their next release. Personally, as I finish writing this review, I don’t expect that I will ever listen to it again. However, I encourage any fans of Technical Death Metal to give this album a listen, and formulate your own opinion on it.
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