Luciferion - Demonication (The Manifest)
Review: Master aestheticists Luciferion entrance with nihilistic pummeling beats drawn together in an expertly-constructed synthesis of several styles, ranging from the primary construction of thundering death metal like Deicide with an attention to the rhythmic shifts and vocal cadences of Morbid Angel, speed guitar lines linking the band to ancients such as Metallica and Destruction. So well fitting into known styles is this work that sometimes it suffers for familiarity and knowledge of derivation, but independently executed this is a well-played studious representation of these genres with reasonable advancements in Nordic battle robodrumming and the synthesis of Eric Hoffman atonality with Rick Rozz rubixcube whammysqueal soloing.
Well-placed are vocals passages that strike for a dominant rhythm to underscore the points of impact that will determine where verse and chorus stand at each other in the interplay of rhythm fronted primarily by blasting chorus of percusion charging through layered inflections of vocal or riff chronologic arrangement. Source scaring vocals chase racing riff evolutions in the range of sequences provided by the range between aggressive speed metal and ripping fast death metal with abrupt technical phrasing, mutating throughout a song for development but never straying far from unifying rhythm.
Lead guitar lines run throughout songs as rhythm and mutate into electric melody solos, harmonizing with dual guitar in one instance reminiscent of Iron Maiden. The technicality of some of these solos is inherent not so much in tangible technical feats but the prowess with which reasonably difficult material is executed demonstrates a capacity with the instrument not necessarily pushed to a peak by any particular instant. Overall playing mirrors this idea -- all songs on the album are well-played, all elements are well-studied; but overall impressions without degrading enjoyment bely any claim to superb innovation, only establishment and application of evolutionary pressure to the collected lot of metal's current styles.