Release Date: April 17th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.
Survive/Yourself - Tracklisting
1.The Theory of Change 06:05
2.Last Dance 06:19
3.Star Child 04:47
4.Kalorama 04:55
5.We All End Up Here 06:21
6.Brain Holographics 06:28
7.Smile 03:20
8.The Isolate 04:58
Members
Pablo Anton – Guitars and vocals
Lu Salinas – Bass and vocals
Tarro Martinez – Drums
Review
Sludge/Stoner Metallers Demons My Friends find themselves in a much bolder place and destination compared to when their acclaimed debut album “Demons Seems To Gather” was released back in September 2023. For a start, the band are now signed to one of the biggest Heavy Rock labels around with Ripple Music being their new home for their new album. And it seems the band have developed a heavier and progressive style of music on their sophomore album Survive/Yourself. This time round, Demons My Friends are closer to the Post-Metal world with a haunting Post-Doom theme running throughout the album.
The band still show instances of that modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal themes that made their debut album such a standout record of 2023. The melodies are quite emotionally engaging with Demons My Friends demonstrating different musical styles with influences such as Neurosis, Mastodon, Baroness, King Buffalo, Howling Giant and REZN. There is still a slight off-beat charm hidden with how the band deliver their vocals and prog rock attitudes which are superbly built up on tracks such as The Theory Of Change, Last Dance, Star Child and Kalorama.
Survive/Yourself can be quite emotionally wrought and too fragile compared to Demons Seem To Gather which may take some of their fan base out of the enjoyment loop when they first listen to the album. However, this is Demons My Friends creating something different and perhaps more personally important to the band themselves. You can tell how the vocals are delivered by Pablo Anton and Lu Salinas on different stages of the album. The lyrics have an emotional gravitas and sensibility to them which allows the Psychedelic and Prog Metal environments to fully solidify the whole creative intent that Demons My Friends achieve on this record alone.
There’s still some wicked fun to be experienced along the way with Demons My Friends employing a thuggish metallic route that has echoes of HIGH ON FIRE and TORCHE appearing in the most unexpected of places. That’s what made their debut album such an absolute joy though the later stages of the record does embrace a Post-Grunge and Post-Hardcore energy which once again brings a sense of trippy weirdness to the whole album.
One of Survive/Yourself main strengths is how Demons My Friends just create music with a raw, vicious and honest attitude which can be off the scale and down right outlandish but it’s done with great intent especially on some of the other standout tracks of: We All End Up Here, Brain Holographics and The Isolate. These tracks will perhaps become real fan favourites within time especially We All End Up Here and The Isolate. As Demons My Friends show a vivid way of changing musical structures with progressive dynamics that manifests into some of the most grounded and highly melodic instrumental passages on the whole record.
Everyone plays to their creative strengths and I’ve already mentioned Pablo Anton and Lu Salinas stellar work on vocals but they impress even further on Guitars and Bass respectively. Tarro Martinez on drums brings a grounded perspective to Demons My Friends with some crowd-pleasing moments that allows this great Power-Trio to fully come to life especially within the quieter and more reflective sounds they conjure up out of thin air.
Survive/Yourself is an exquisite and emotionally charged album that sees Demons My Friends brilliantly avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump” and deliver a record that leaves you in quite an euphoric state of mind.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Survive/Yourself is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.
Links
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