Customer Reviews

Demonic

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, there is thrash metal, and there is death metal. There isn't really an inbetween. But for some reason (and I'm not complaining here) Testament disagrees with me and puts this thing out. I'm giving it a 4 instead of a 5 because I'm comparing it to The Gathering and Low (not to mention The New Order and First Strike Still Deadly, and the classics, they're all great, but the new stuff is different to a large extent).
This "thing" is one of the greatest metal albums I've ever heard. Easily one of my favorites. Okay, Low (the album right before this) was the rebirth of Testament, when they said F*** it! We're going to get heavier and heavier until the record companies can't stand us anymore! Then we will continue to get heavier after that!
It didn't take long for Atlantic to dump Testament, which is surprising, because Low is one of the best Testament Album to date, if not, THE best because of it's variety.
Demonic on the other hand, is a whole 'nother monster all together. This thing sounds exactly like the title reads, Demonic. Now the lyrics aren't "kill your mother, burn virgins and drink the blood of the innocent", but the music itself just brings images of dark carnage into your head. No easy feat with this crowd. Demonic will always remain in my carrying case because there is no other album like it.
Chuck's vocals are as brutal as they ever were, and they still had clarity. Eric's guitars were like an instrument of death, yet still fiercly melodic and catchy. The bass and drums only kicked the intensity up a few notches. I like it when I hear people complain about it not being all high pitched and full of 80's solos. It means Testament did it right. This wasn't designed to be an '80s album with solos and girly screams. This was supposed to cram it to all of those people who thought Testament were getting soft. And I have to say, this album is anything BUT soft. It is beautiful, in a Demonic sort of way.
No, I don't need counceling.

Yes it's a turn in a heavier direction for Testament, and less "thrashy". Nonetheles this is an excellent, catchy, brutal album with crushing production that is grossly underrated and overlooked. Heavy, memorable, melodic guitar hooks, punding rhythm section, excellent writing, and Chuck really bellowing from his guts, adds up to one of the most memorable albums from 1997, a metal masterpiece, meant to be cranked. If you didn't like it, you don't "get it". Amust-have for any Testament fan and for any fan of good, powerful, well-crafted metal with top-notch lyrics.

Even though this isn't my "favorite" Testament album it is definately one of the "HEAVIEST" slabs of metal (Death Metal) i have ever heard. Chuck Billy has one of the biggest badest Roars you will ever hear. Not only because he's like 6.4 and a huge MF, but also because he sings straight from the gut, NOT from the throat as with most DM vocalist's. Compared to Cannibal Corpse and Deicide he makes those boys sound like Mr.Rogers and Elmo. This album is not about "speed" although there are a few speedy moments here and there. Its just pure heavy in your face chunky as hell, balls metal. Demonic Refusal the title track stands out as the most memorable(and Gene Hoglans drumming kills),also John Doe, Burning Times, 10,000 Thrones, and Murky Waters. But as a whole this album just pounds. Buy it and prepare to hear Satan himself belching through your speakers with his mighty band from hell.

What can I say, this album rips !!!!!!! Demonic is a perfect title for this album because it sounds Demonic. It might be hard to swallow at first but belive me, it grows on you like cancer. I think this album scared off some Testament fans cause of the way Chuck Billy sings on it. Most of the album his voice sounds like death metal but the funny thing is that it works, it sounds great. Highlites for me on this album are the opening track "Demonic Refusal" "Burning Times" "John Doe" and "Hatdreds Rise". I you like metal and Testament, don't let this one pass you by. One more thing,if you want to pick up an even better album, get their next album "The Gathering" it's a classic !!!!!!! D. N. R. !!!!!!!!!!

Demonic is Testament their seventh album. In 1997 I bought this album for my brother, who until then was a huge fan of the band. I have always appreciated the band, but was never a huge fan. My brother did not like the album, so he gave it to me. After listening to the album a few times, I really started to like the album. I personally think it is their best album, although I understand that not many people share this view.

Only vocalist Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson are left of the line-up from their debut-album The Legacy. On Demonic Gene Hoglan plays drums and Derrick Ramirez, a former Testament member from the early days, plays bass. Demonic sounds rather different than early records. Testament is known for its fast and technical Thrash Metal with superb solos. Demonic is a mainly mid-tempo album with fewer solos. Although the solos are not bad they cannot compete with solos from former Testament guitarists Alex Skolnick and James Murphy. The solos are slower and sound more dissonant.

Vocalist Chuck Billy used to sing with raw but melodic vocals. On Demonic he mainly uses Death Metal vocals. I personally think that he should have used his "normal" vocals more. "John Doe" is one of the few songs with "normal" vocals. The music is slower, more raw and less melodic than in the past, "Demonic Refusal", "Murky Waters" and "Ten Thousand Thrones" are the only fast song on the album. The atmosphere on the album is darker than on earlier records. Demonic is a great album but could have been better when the vocalist would switch more often between "normal" and Death Metal vocals, and the album would have had more fast songs.

My favourite songs are:
· "John Doe": The "normal" vocals work so well on the song.
· "Demonic Refusal": A fast brutal song. Check out the cool intro.
· "Burning Times": I really like the chorus.

When I first popped this CD in and heard the lead-in countdown of "10, 9, 8, 7, 6...6...6..." followed by the most ear-bleeding G-minor power riff in heavy metal and the arachnid like drum licks from Gene Hoglan, I began to get excited. Moments later, the otherwise melodic voice of Chuck Billy emitted a gutural shout akin to Linda Blair in "The Excorcist" and then snarled at me vehemently, "Youtook my hand and sympathize..." I began to feel uneasy...like I sold my soul to satan for [money amount]. The rest I don't remember, however, as I began swirling my head and moshing around loving every moment of it!!

This follow-up to "LOW" truly lives up to its name - DEMONIC. Throughout 90% of this entire CD, Chuck Billy is literally barking the lyrics of rage and damnation while Peterson and Murphy strangle their respective guitars churning out some of the most intense and brutal grindcore riffs and solos known to man. This CD is blistering and loud - something that has been missing from much of Testament's "LOW" (sans "Dog Faced Gods") and "The Ritual" offerings. Highlights of this CD are the lead in track "Demonic Refusal", "The Burning Times", "John Doe" and "Hatred's Rise". With these 4 accompanied by the other strong and intense tracks, it'll be a tough job for Testament to outdo themselves. Excellent CD! Well worth the whiplash!!

I just got this album and the first thing I gotta ask is when did Chuck Billy get possessed by Lucifer??? What is with the "death-metal" voice????? Thought his natural voice was really cool. Oh well, I got over that minor point REAL quick! This album blows away most anything presently out there. Glad to see Testament hasn't followed other bands paths to public acceptance and radio/MTV play. This stuff is RAW,BRUTAL and FEROCIOUS!!!! A MUST have for any real Metal fan!!! Keep up the good work fella's!!!

This is one of Testament's BEST albums to date (in my opinion). I started getting into death metal in the late 90's with bands like Entombed, Bolt Thrower, and a few others. I am a big fan of many good death meatal bands now, but am still very picky about which ones.
Having said that, if you know anything about death metal, then you also know that death metal vocalists around the globe sat on the ends of their beds and weeped after hearing Chuck's amazing and natural ability without giving up any clarity. No other death metal vocalist that I've ever heard even comes close to the amazing and natural depth to Chuck's voice that is on this record! And just because something isn't fast doesn't mean that it's not heavy! Quite the contrary my metal brothers and sisters. The end of PANTERA'S 'THIS LOVE' breakdown, at the end of that song throws that theory right out of the window.
Yeah, Gene's superhuman double bass footwork isn't exactly showcased here, but can't a brother stretch his horizon's? This album is about showing others what a REAL solid metal band with REAL integrity is capable of if they choose to pursue a different avenue. Many times it's harder to successfully play a slow solid destroyer, than it is to be able to miss a few notes shredding thru something like Megadeth's HOLY WARS or somethin'. Testament did this album solely to please themselves and hopefully open the minds of many of their fans as well. I was on the same wavelength with the guys when this came out, so I listened to it many times over with much pleasure. I'm writing this review because I need to buy another copy of this album 'cuz mine is scratched, and saw all of the lame, snap judgement reviews.
So if you're a REAL Testament fan (even if you don't like death metal) I suggest that you buy it anyway and try to open your mind up just a little bit and see what they were trying to accomplish (and did) on, in my humble view,is one of the best "death metal" albums in many years.

Alright, I will admit that I am younger and didn't even hear about testament until low came out. If you had been a testament fan before low, you probably don't like demonic refusal. I personally had a joygasm listening to this. My favorite tracks being Demonic Refusal and Murky waters. The dual chanting vocals definatly adds to the mood of the album. Don't get me wrong, there are only a few death metal albums that are really decent out there, but testament did a fine job with the death vocals. Gene Hoglan's drumming could have been more inventive though

As a bid to reclaim underground cred, Demonic spares little to chance. This is easily Testament's heaviest album of their career, adopting grindcore and extreme metal effectively. Frontmen Chuck Billy almost exclusively uses a death throat, rather his trademark singing, and it's an effective throat indeed. Moreover, the playing is extremely tight, especially with the intensely rhythmic riffs. In every way, Demonic is heavy.

And yet, it's surprisingly dull. Underneath the clothing and you still have a 80s thrash band, which is fine except that the combination doesn't completely gel. That grindcore sound works best with extremely fast tempos or slower dirges that groove the riff home; but here it accentuates a creative drought. The riffs, save for different rhythms, sound the same due to the production. Besides that, the songs are relentessly mid-tempo; except for the drum rolls, there's rarely an explosive moment. The lead parts are cheesy and monotonous. The songs tend to blend into each other.

However, these problems aren't readily apparent until a few consecutive songs. Taken in small doses, Demonic works as well as average death-metal does -- heavy, brutal, but monotonous. If you want to hear it done right, check out Testament's The Gathering.