Demilich
Hometown: Finland
http://www.anentity.com/demilich/
Friday, May 26, 2006
The Back Room (Austin, Texas)
also: Split Eye, Biolich,Sothis,Abythos, Averse Sefira
The head liner of this show is a band of legendary proportion. The fact they made a stop on their one and only tour here in Austin was a stroke of luck. But before I get to that I will have to mention a little about the other openers and the show in general.
I missed the very fist band Split Eye, so I have nothing to say about them, but I will tell you I wish I missed the second band too. I read a few comments about this Biolich band on the net and people were saying how great they were. I guess they were replaced by these imposters cause I can not believe how god awful they were. One of the worst guitar sounds I have ever heard and an over all mish mosh of worthlessness. I could not wait for them to end, and I think the majority of people at the show felt the same. Terrible.......
Sothis took the stage in full on Black Metal attire. Spiked from head to toe. It was a shame that they had technical difficulties delaying and shortening their set. When they got their shit together they really put forth an effort to deliver the goods. Serious thrashing and full on assault with their fierce music and some great shredding incorporated into Black Metal, something you just do not see a lot of. I was pissed they only played 3 songs....but for a band I was totally unfamiliar with I have to say they were memorable and were a band I’d want to see live again. I hope these guys get a record deal soon, I think they’d make a great disc.
Abythos are locals, and I had seen them before a few years back. They have improved but the singer got on my nerves; in my opinion he is the weak point of the band. The problem with the band in general is they seem to be influenced by a few genres of metal and incorporate that into songs that just go into too many directions. I think the guys can play well, but they need someone who can help bring focus to them, to get them writing songs in a specific style that a listener can associate the band with. They have a decent sound, and some of the slower guitar parts were played with emotion showing some promise. But that singer's wannabe-ish one minute this, one minute that style makes it hard to know where they're coming from.
Averse Sefira have been around for many years now with several releases under their bullet belts and have traveled quite extensively in support of their records. I had hoped to get a few questions answered but in all honesty I was too busy listening in on and contributing my own questions with Demilich. It is my guess they’d have said they think as I do, that the Austin scene sucks for extreme metal but they would not pass the chance to play with a band like Demilich. These guys had a good response from the crowd, and do have some hardcore fans who truly appreciate their efforts. A band like Averse Sefira cares not for quantity as far as support, but for quality, meaning people who exist for the underground, not the mainstream crap that misinforms people to what extreme metal is really all about. The show would have been much more enjoyable if the lineup was Abythos, Sothis, Averse Sefira and Demilich, but none of that mattered once Demilich hit the stage.
I assured Jeff [Barringer, who met me there with his cameras] during the openers that Demilich was going to be a spectacle to behold and holy fucking shit were they ever. This band is nothing short of legendary with only one full length record released and re-released, which was recorded over a decade ago. The addition of a third guitar player for this tour had me worried as far as a lousy mix, but the sound was absolutely devastating. The drumming was flawless, the execution of the songs was perfection, and the champion of THE most gutteral growls ever recorded delivered by Antti Boman did not disappoint at all. He sounded exactly like the record. The stage presence and performance were incredible, but the timid talk between songs was the only evidence that this is not a touring band. This was well known to all and was the only thing that could make you believe they did not play live much but it did not at all take away from the show. They were one of the best bands I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The crowd was blown away and anyone who saw this tour will be rubbing it in the faces anyone who did not get off their asses to witness this one last chance to see such a phenomenal band. Horns up to Demilich, for me I’d rate them a solid 10 out of 10 skulls, absolutely incredible!
I spent a lot of time before the show listening to the never ending questions some of us had for these guys. We were shocked to hear their biggest fan base was here in the US. These guys are from Finland and most would assume since metal is accepted more widely in other parts of the word, especially Europe....that they’d have been much more popular elsewhere, but this is not the case. Lyrically the band is weird as hell, and not very typical of death metal; I got the impression they did not even truly consider themselves to be death metal but it was apparent that is the type of bands they preferred to be associated with (does that make sense?). Lyrically it is an odd sci fi poetry, multi dimensional misery, fear of death and violent entities devouring souls....very off the wall shit. Two examples of their song titles are "When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water" and "The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)."
Antti let us all hang when the question of certain letters being replaced by numbers when their lyrics are printed as far as what that means....?what is its significance? We’ll never know...dammit! The only good news as far as the disbanding of Demilich was that all the members planned to continue playing music, and Antti said he would continue signing in his unique style of the lowest of the low burping gutteral vocal style. The icing on the cake for Jeff and me was that he mentioned he had kept reptiles in the past including, of course, the ever popular corn snake. Funny how some of the most brutal bands out there are just regular guys and are so completely laid back and mellow. These guys from Finland were all very cool and even a bit quiet, but they let if rip on stage and were nothing short of impressive. By far one of the best shows I have seen in years. When asked if they thought their record would be worshiped with a kult status all these years later they said absolutely not. It was also revealed the album was recorded on a small budget (which to some was obvious but hell, some bands with great budgets for recording cranked out some total shit). Their English was fine, that is now....and I hinted that since their record was recorded many years back that I wondered if they could change anything (especially the lyrics). would they. The answer was yes, but unfortunately I could not find a way ask if they meant the lyrics without sounding insulting towards their knowledge of the English language back then ... but myself I will always wonder.... since these lyrics are just so damn weird.
Regardless, they are one hell of a band and should be very proud of their achievement in the archives of metal history. I feel extremely lucky to have witnessed this show and to have had the chance to meet the band. I encourage you to seek out this record and get an earful of something that is so unique, yet blends into the scene and sound of death metal like a nightmare you hoped would never end, but this was it. This was a closure for the band, I wish them the best and thank them for coming to the US and giving their fans one chance to see them tear it up. It is something I won’t soon forget.
Releases........
Demilich Nespithe 1993 Necropolis Records
then the European rerelease of
Nespithe on Repulse Records in 1996 which included “ The Four Instructive Tales........ of Decomposition� demo and new artwork
One of the new records which will be released on LP only limited too 397 autographed copies from Morbid Thoughts Records should be available soon titled em9t2ness of van2s1ing
The other final release form the band will be in CD format through Xtreem Music soon titled v34ish6ng 0f emptiness
I heard both pressings of these rare gems are all pre sold and considered sold out...
For more info and downloads go to
http://www.anentity.com/demilich/.