Job for a Cowboy - Demonocracy
Metal Blade
Death Metal
9 songs (40:00)
Release year: 2012
Metal Blade
Reviewed by Leah

Job for a Cowboy is the very definition of a constantly evolving band. Bands that release the same exact material time and time again can lend themselves to stagnancy and eventually listeners will move on in search of something that will keep them interested. There is most definitely a difference between bands being consistent and becoming stagnant, but there’s a thin line separating the two. Job for a Cowboy continues to show artistic progress, and with each new album they show they are capable of more than what’s expected of them.

Job for a Cowboy initially gained popularity from their Doom EP, which was released in 2005 through the King of the Monsters label, only to be re-released through Metal Blade Records in 2006. The song Entombment of a Machine featured pig-squeals, guttural growls and signature Deathcore breakdowns. Deathcore was an up-and-coming fad in the Metal scene, and Job for a Cowboy was one of the bands leading the charge.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen firsthand that to be seen with a Job for a Cowboy shirt immediately identifies the wearer as a “Deathcore Kid” and someone who wouldn’t know good Metal if it smacked them in the face. Some Metal purists dismissed any possibility of a Job for a Cowboy fan being a serious and dedicated member of the true Metal scene.

However, as they continued making albums, Job for a Cowboy strayed away from Deathcore and progressed towards straight-up, brutal Death Metal. With their 2007 release Genesis and 2009’s Ruination, Death Metal was the name of the game and it was clear that Job for a Cowboy could do it well. Genesis was well received and Ruination impressed many, even yours truly, with its relentless dedication to the brutality, heaviness and discipline that Death Metal embodies. Each album seems to be better than the last and their recent release, Demonocracy is no different.

The first song, The Children of Deceit, is a definite crowd-mover and gives a good burst of energy to the beginning of the album. At the three-minute mark, the breakdown is almost humorous in how different it is from the Deathcore breakdowns of the band’s early days. It features almost dissonant guitar chords against the background of a slowly chugging guitar; the result is a sound that is slightly reminiscent of Death Metal legend Behemoth, in their song Ov Fire and the Void.

The entire album is heavily influenced by Technical Death Metal, an area that Job for a Cowboy hasn’t tapped too much into on their previous releases. Songs like Tongueless and Bound, Black Discharge and The Manipulation Stream are the most obvious examples of Technical Death Metal, complete with hard, fast riffs and chillingly melodic solos.

The last song on the album is titled Tarnished Gluttony and it is the heaviest song on the album by far, and not because it’s fast or technical. The chugging rhythm guitar is coupled with a melody that sounds almost melancholy in its progression, while lead singer Jonny Davy’s low growls are the perfect match for the haunting melody. Squealing harmonics add the perfect punctuation to a song so simple that it’s a wonder it’s as heavy as it is. The solo is easy-going and flawless, with some fantastic sweeping that adds just the right amount of that melancholic tune back into the foreground. The song builds to a crescendo that descends just as fast back into the steady pace of the song, serving only to build on the listener’s attention and anticipation.

Demonocracy is a great example of evolving musicianship. It is better, heavier and harder-hitting than its predecessors and will not leave even the most skeptical of Metal purists disappointed. Even for those who are not fans of the band’s music, Job for a Cowboy’s continued progress as musicians deserves a generous amount of respect.

Killing Songs :
Tarnished Gluttony, The Children of Deceit
Leah quoted 79 / 100
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There are 3 replies to this review. Last one on Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:54 pm
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