CoC : Demiricous - One : Review

Demiricous - _One_
(Metal Blade, 2006)
by: Jackie Smit (7 out of 10)

If one were to replace the very capable voice of singer Nate Olp with the vocals of one Tom Araya, it's unlikely that you'd have a tough time convincing people that they're listening to the latest Slayer opus. As a matter of fact, you'd probably get a fair few comments about the record being a return to form for the veteran thrashers, which depending on how you view it, is high praise indeed for this Indianapolis quartet. Slayer are by no means a bad example for a young, up-and-coming band like Demiricous to attempt to emulate. The only question is whether the group wish to be viewed as an entity all on their own, or as a band who sound remarkably similar to one of the genre's all-time greats. "Repentagram" and "Withdrawal Divine" certainly lean heavily toward the latter option -- with everything from the distinct King / Hanneman solo style to Araya's rapid-fire vocal lines being incorporated into the highly derivative mix. Ironically, on the odd occasions where they aren't imitating their heroes, they end up sounding like _One Kill Wonder_-era Haunted, which only serves to further underline the fact that _One_ is utterly bereft of anything remotely approaching a distinct trademark or identity. Still, for all its lack of originality, it's not a bad first ditch attempt, and for the most part the songs are furious and entertaining enough to make the record worth a spin or two. I just hope that next time around the band leave their copies of _Hell Awaits_ and _Reign in Blood_ at home.

Contact: http://www.demiricous.com

(article published 2/1/2006)

ALBUMS
11/4/2007	J Smit	8.5	Demiricous - Two (Poverty)