This is the recent repressing of Demonik's debut, now translated to English from the original title Las cenizas de la Tierra. Again, I haven't listened to the original, so I can only review the album by itself, which is fine by me because this is yet another solid album from this strange band.
Demonik aren't what you'd call the most aggressive band in the world, generally opting for that more upbeat style of Thrash that's akin to Anthrax if they had the melodic sensibility of Iron Maiden. Of course, that's only the start of their sound, as they combine so many old-school and modern influences that you can't really say they sound like anybody else. You get more relaxed and (for lack of a better word) happier numbers like opener "Visions" and the mellow, almost Jeff Waters-esque "Codex" along with angrier, more ominous songs like "Bullets of Hate", the merciless "Cult to War", and the Slayer-esque album closer "In the Darkness", all of which are played with conviction and energy. Really, this album almost sounds like a jam session that was done for fun that ended up resulting in an album when it was over.
Overall, it seems that Demonik have really developed their sound since their earlier releases, and this may well be the band at their most conventional. That said, even at their least experimental and original, these lads could Thrash like few others can, and I can't wait to see where they go with it all next. A debut that was worth bringing back.
