Demented – Across The Nature’s Stillness

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Review by Paul Castles

Klonosphere

French fist-pumpers Demented allow you a minute or so to prepare for the onslaught with the spooky stillness and solitude of intro ‘The Ritual’ before unleashing the eagerly anticipated blast of ferocious death metal. ‘Shamen’ is the first track proper and a guttural roar from the very pit of singer Nessim’s stomach leaves you under no illusion as to what we’re dealing with here. With a thunderous demonised drumbeat pounding away throughout, the only respite is the brief release when Demented fall in line to unleash the unified cry of ‘Shamen’.

Across The Nature’s Stillness is the follow up to the band’s 2010 debut release, Fields of Suffering. It’s another mighty slab of brutality from across the Channel but not lacking in gallic intricacy and imagination. Demented can thrash their way through a number with as much enthusiasm as the best of them but then on a track such as ‘Psycho Pomp’ just a little speed is sacrificed for a darker deeper more menacing chug. Demented let the riffs flow and on tracks such as the single ‘Sign of Creation’ the flair and fluidity of the guitar playing is given the opportunity to breathe alone before Nessim’s knuckleduster delivery returns to torment your senses. ‘Ineffable Mysticism’ is a different entity entirely with guest vocalist Jenni, from French Industrial metal oufit Noein, offering a brief but haunting melody, very much the beauty to Nessim’s beast. Of course such respite is never long – and nor should it be – on a death metal album and Nessim is instantly back in the centre of the mix with ‘The Ceremony’, another blistering manically charged incendiary weapon with which to beat you.

Demented’s constant barrage of blastbeats, gyrating guitar whines, and Nessim’s grated straight down the middle delivery may weigh you down if you can only take this kind of punishment in small doses. But if you’re the kind of crazed neck-cranking mutha who takes this kind of medicine by the bottle rather than the spoon then Demented can be neatly filed between Decapitated and Dying Fetus.

Demented – Across The Natures Stillness7 out of 10

Track listing:

  1. The Ritual
  2. Shaman
  3. On The Edge
  4. Spirits
  5. Psycho Pomp
  6. Ineffable Mysticism
  7. Sign Of Creation
  8. The Ceremony
  9. Reviving Fire
  10. Light From The Stars
  11. Listen To The Silence
  12. Breathing Forest
  13. Crossing The Land’s Enlightenment