Demiurg - The Hate Chamber
Mascot Records
Swedish Death Metal
10 songs (47:39)
Release year: 2008
Demiurg, Mascot Records
Reviewed by Dylan
When I saw the lineup for Bloodbath’s latest EP, the absence of Dan Swanö left a nagging question in the back of my mind as to what he was up to. The answer to my subconscious inquiry has come in the form of Demiurg’s The Hate Chamber; an equally Swedish death metal side-project. Not surprisingly, the band sounds a lot like Bloodbath did on Resurrection Through Carnage, with just a little more groove and a little less melody. Demiurg’s 2007 debut managed to evade my playlist entirely, but if it is similar to The Hate Chamber, then there is one more extreme metal band worth your while, though not being an essential addition to your collection.

Featuring the drummer of Gorefest, the DiGiorgio-esque bassist of The Haven and the frontman of Paganizer, the band members manage to compliment each other’s styles throughout the album. Even Pär Johansson, vocalist of The Duskfall, makes a guest appearance as a clean vocalist in the closing track, Cult of Dagon. If any of the proper nouns in the first paragraph rang a bell, you already know who Dan Swanö is, and what he is capable of as a guitarist / songwriter. If not, then you are most likely new to the world of Swedish metal. If you are, then this is would be a good place to start.

Think groove, low-tuned riffage, and textbook guttural vocals, courtesy of Rogga Johansson. The first three tracks of the album will surely get fans of Entombed to take notice. Resurrecting the Rotting and The Terror Before Sleep are the two songs that will get you headbanging quickest, though I think that has something to do with their early placement on the album, rather than their sheer quality. Wolves At The Gates, The Convulse Meridian and Opus Morbidity (City of Ib Pt. III) have touches of Swanö’s keyboard work, but even in these tracks, the synths are kept to a minimum.

The rest of the album is Bloodbath-worship at its most competent. The riffs are easy to get into, the drums and bass hold everything together (with the latter throwing in some impressive lines in The Apocalyptic and Dawn Dusk Delusion). Thanks to Swanö, the production is, clean and roomy, as you would expect. Overall, this is quite a predictable death metal album, but most fans have accepted that the Vital Remains and Immolations of the world are few and far between. Recommended for fans of Bloodbath who need something to hold on to after they’ve unblessed the purity but before The Fathomless Mastery is released.
Killing Songs :
Resurrecting the Rotten, The Terror Before Sleep, and Opus Morbidity (City of Ib Pt. III).
Dylan quoted 70 / 100
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