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Ever since 100 Demons' latest full-length came out, I've been hearing more than enough about how it can't compete with their older material. Many of the complaints are a result of the band's replacement of their old vocalist with Pete Morcey (formerly of Forced Reality) and new bassist Eric Barrett. As with almost any band that swaps members, especially a vocalist, there will inevitably be fans who refuse to accept the change.
Because I'm not familiar with previous 100 Demons music, I can't say whether the complaints are justified. I can, however, say that this "Self-Titled" full-length merits far more praise than criticism. In my mind, 100 Demons takes thrashy metal ala Shadows Fall or Slayer, brings their own sense of crushing, burly metal/hardcore to the mix, and ends up with a raw, stripped down metal/hardcore sound. Every now and then, 100 Demons' guitarists rear an In Flames influence, but in general, their sound revolves around gruff metal/hardcore, loaded with breakdowns and deeply-shouted vocals.
A couple songs on the album really stand out for a couple of reasons. First is "Repeat Process," which introduces the first substantial amount of clean singing. I was surprised at how well it worked, and it comes across as anything but cheesy, especially when layered with the harmonized guitar riffs. The song shifts in and out of melodies and huge breakdowns, and even features one of a few guitar solos. Similarly, "His Father's Son" has a good deal of melodic guitar riffing. Both songs bring out the In Flames influence I mentioned earlier. Ultimately, I like that the melodies are present and tastefully used.
While the aforementioned songs stick out, the remaining seven songs are anything but background music. 100 Demons avoids much filler and attacks with an arsenal of double bass powered breakdowns, gang vocals, high-speed thrash and painfully barked lyrics (many of which demand a sing along). They're all a pleasure to listen to, much thanks to the production of Zeuss at Planet Z studios.
100 Demons' "Self-Titled" album has been in heavy rotation for me during the past month. I imagine that this will appeal to a wide variety of listeners, from fans of Slayer to Shadows Fall to modern metal/hardcore outfits like All Out War and Hatebreed. The record is very streamlined and consistent, and because it lacks the clichés of most metal/hardcore bands, it will have an extensive shelf life. Definitely worth listening to.
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