Review by Saxy S for Demoniac (CHL) - Nube negra (2023)

Few things excite me in 2023 like seeing a new Chilean thrash metal release! If that last statement left you utterly confused considering who said it, congratulations! I felt the exact same way, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Whether it be bands like Parkcrest, or Critical Defiance who snuck their way on to my short list of best records of 2022 with No Life Forms, thrash has seen a resurgence in recent years and now its time for Demoniac to show off what they've got.

For starters, Nube Negra is not a straightforward thrash metal album. I have said on a handful of occasions that thrash metal with progressive tendencies is a difficult genre to pin down. I cannot deny the quality of the music, but something about it just feels off and most of that comes through in the songwriting; usually something far too dense and overproduced for something relatively simple. Demoniac do not have that problem with their progressive leanings here as the album does not have a lot of time to meander. It is a longer album sure, considerably longer than No Life Forms, but even the drawn out passages feel earned and complimentary to the more traditional thrash element. The obvious example of this is the penultimate track "Veneno", which transforms into a quasi-doom outro that may feel out of place on the surface, but Demoniac's connectors are poignant and transform it from a two part mess into one of the albums highlights.

The mixing of the record is quite good as well. As a whole, Nube Negra has a distinctive black metal timbre the way its guitar melodies are performed and mixed, while the vocals are high screeching, typically with a lot of syllables and vocal diversity. I will admit to being a little bit alarmed the first time I heard a guitar solo, before quickly reminding myself that this album is primarily thrash. As for the solos themselves, they aren't super impressive, but the way in which they are presented is very well done; the lead guitar is pronounced and manages to outline whatever chord progression Demoniac are using, rather than relying on pentatonic scales.

The album ends on an impressive run from "Granada" to "Et Final" but getting to that point is a little tricky. Whether it be the short "Marchageddon" or the instrumental interlude "Synthèse d'accords", they leave a bit to be desired, but "Granada" is quickly becoming a favourite of mine and the final two tracks are no slouches either. "La Caida" is a decent piece of thrash metal, but then it decides to end with an inconclusive fade out and kind of sells all of the built up momentum short. It's the only fade out ending on the album too, so its inclusion becomes even more perplexing on repeated listens.

Demoniac are a very good modern thrash metal band and I'm glad I found the time to give Nube Negra a listen. Perhaps the album would have fared a little bit better for me if it decided to dig a little deeper into its progressive metal influences a bit more. An band that has clear ties to Vektor with a more concise runtime would be a fantastic listen and sounds like it could be a modern thrash classic. As for now though, Demoniac are a band who have the pieces to make something great, but need a little refining first.

Best Songs: Nube Negra, Granada, Veneno, La Caida