Release Date: December 01st 2023. Record Label: Evil Feast Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Death Machine - Tracklisting
1.Echolalia
2.Crushing Sun
3.Coward
4.Succession
5.Bad Men
6.Sphere of Peace
7.Demons of Shade
8.Torched and Burned
Members
Aria Jones
Tamsyn Matchett
Abraham Kunin
Scott Satherley
Jonathan Burgess
Joseph McElhinney
Review
Doom/Stoner Metal collective Demons Of Noon have gradually been building up a formidable reputation over the last few years in New Zealand with acclaimed live performances supporting the likes of BEASTWARS. The band released an EP back in 2020 which impressed me greatly and it’s with their debut album Death Machine that the band may actually gain the same career trajectory that BEASTWARS experienced with their first releases.
Death Machine is a mixture of different creative themes that blends Occult Rock, Ambient Rock, Psych Rock, Prog Rock, Drone and Space Rock for an album that’s bold, highly imaginative and startlingly original with its dark melodic take on modern day Doom/Stoner Metal. The vocals are a mixture of clean vocals and trippy drone based chants which allows Demons Of Noon to have an aura of mysteria behind them.
The album is very hard to categorise with Demons Of Noon moving around the many different levels of Doom/Stoner Metal. One moment they could be playing Occult Doom which then changes into Psych Doom/Stoner Metal before exploding into a vortex of Atmospheric Sludge Metal. This creative approach is best to describe the beautifully devastating opening songs of Echolalia and Crushing Sun.
The music is mostly Occult/Drone based Doom Metal with flashes of trippy Stoner jams with the vocals being mostly Clean vocals before moments of Gregorian based chanting appears within Crushing Sun. There’s influences as diverse as Jex Thoth, Black Sabbath, BEASTWARS, WINDHAND and EARTH appearing on these two tracks alone with Demons Of Noon still playing their own original style of music that’s beautifully destructive to listen to.
Third song Coward is a more straight-forward Doom/Stoner Metal number that would make BEASTWARS proud. The psychedelic sludgy beats have a certain “DOOM-POP” momentum appearing with a fast-paced sound that becomes a more aggressive and catchy style of music with the frantic instrumental work and sparse vocal delivery that appears. One of the most riffiest tracks on the album with a punishing Occult Rock element that appears out of nowhere with the sultry vocals that take centre stage. The final stages sees Demons Of Noon drift back into the Ambient world with a
Fourth song brings a Drone Rock perspective with down-tuned sludgy guitars and Ethereal gloomy OCCULT chants with the music drifting between SUNN 0))) atmospherics and long drawn instrumental sounds for a song that’s perhaps the wildest track on the album. However, this is also my favourite track on the album with Demons Of Noon creating a captivating style of Atmospheric Doom Metal with deafening levels of Sludge/Stoner grooves near the end of the track that soon become some of the heaviest and brutal sounding parts of the album.
Demons Of Noon keep experimenting their mind-expanding style of Doom/Stoner Metal with the sludgy Cosmic and Occult backdrop merging into more daring vocal performances especially on Bad Men, Sphere Of Peace and Demons Of Shade. The Instrumental sounds are more experimental as well though remain constantly original with first rate delivery that evolves into a different style of heaviness with a more OPERATIC flow to them.
Death Machine is the type of debut album that doesn’t come along too often. As each song is wholly different to each other but all telling captivating stories through the power of Demons Of Noon wonderful world-building qualities they bring to this album alone.
Demons Of Noon is a band to truly get excited about as they have delivered a punishing ritualistic journey into the darker vortex of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal sound. There’s no denying that Death Machine is a brilliantly original album that deserves all the plaudits fully coming its way.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.
Death Machine will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Evil Feast Records from December 01st 2023.
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
