DesDemon Has Awakened
In a community of music where everything is about labels it’s becoming harder to stand out. I believe that it’s either rock or metal, but there are dozens upon dozens of sub-categories in both. One such sub-category, power metal, usually gets overlooked because some feel that bands like Iron Maiden have perfected it. In my years of being a fan of rock and metal I have come across bands that add their own unique touch in power metal and I continue to find more. The latest being DesDemon, who take power metal and add melody into it along with hints of black metal.
Their current album “The Awakening” is without a doubt the beginning of a long career in the rock and metal world. The powerful melodies and amazing guitar work puts them in a group with the likes of Kamelot and Nightwish but the addition of keyboards makes them stand out from the pack just a bit. Normally seeing a keyboard in the list of instruments in a rock or metal band hints at a power ballad, but not in this case. Nickolas Henroksen fits right in like a perfectly cut piece to a puzzle. His work adds an extra bit of magic that helps to create a certain “haunting factor” into each track without placing the band into the realm of electronica.
To single out one track on this album to show the true ability that DesDemon has is simple, just hit the second track on the album and just wait to be blown away. A Soul In Exile has everything from acoustic to pure power. The way in which Mistress Tina’s vocals and Lord Metadox’s guitar work sync up together makes you think that this band has been around for years. It’s obvious how well they know each other from just sound. And mixing acoustic with power is something most bands shy away from yet this track is done so well it makes you wonder why others haven’t done so.
I also have to give them credit for their over 11-minute epic In The Absence Of Light that closes out the album. In a time where the industry is about a quick hit along with how new they are the idea of an epic is something worth applauding. It has a steady driving rhythm to it that keeps your attention throughout and the guitar solos are well placed to keep the song moving. Not once during the track are you distracted by a unexpected or drastic change of pace or tempo.
For a first album DesDemon has surely proven that “The Awakening” is worth listening to from beginning to end. They have talent and drive that can take them far. If they keep going at this pace I’m sure it won’t be long before we see them side by side with some of the great melodic power metal bands.
