Demiricous – Chaotic Lethal Review

Before you ask, the word “demiricous” doesn’t exist. Much like Alcest, Metallica, and juxtaposition. Which, I suppose, is fitting because Demiricous comes from Indianapolis, Indiana—another thing I didn’t think existed. On first listen to Demiricous’ third record Chaotic Lethal, I assumed this foursome was from Sweden. From 2006 to 2007, the band has focused on the sounds of Hatesphere, The Haunted, and At the Gates. This sound is most prevalent in their 2007 sophomore release, Two (Poverty). The band also likes to incorporate death into their sound, reminding me of The Crown and Legion of the Damned. You can find these stylings on the band’s debut record, One (Hellbound). But, after two years and two albums with Metal Blade, Demiricous fell off the face of the earth. After fifteen years, these boys are back with a new album. Hopefully, it doesn’t get the kind of reviews the first one received on Metal Archives…

When you listen to Demiricous’ first two records, they clearly didn’t know what sound, style, or production they wanted. One is more At the Gatesy and relatively dynamic in the mix. The other is a Hatesphere punishment that makes your ears scream in pain. Back in the saddle, Demiricous has brought all their death/thrash influences together on Chaotic Lethal. This new album is loaded with a tough-guy mentality,¹ Bay-area thrash, and subtle sprinklings of Autopsy and Throwdown. Of all Demiricous’ releases, Chaotic Lethal gives no fucks.

Of the nine tracks on Chaotic Lethal, only three have a formal introduction. Those slow-building introductions build tension before finally exploding into lethal chaos. The opener, “Unconditional Hate,” and the title track are the best of these. The first is the album’s riff machine. After a spooky piano introduction, it unsheathes its claws and tears into you with thrashy hate. As it progresses, it jumps from thrash licks to sinister tremolos, a la Old Man’s Child. As it approaches its final seconds, it explodes into a headbangable death/thrash charge that hits as hard as anything you’d hear from Onslaught. “Chaotic Lethal” takes a different approach. More stripped down, the title track pummels you for six minutes with Hatesphere aggression and hardcore-flavored vocals.

The rest of the album flows like a typical thrash band trying to jam as many songs into its twenty-minute opening slot. There is no fucking around, no breaks between songs, and no interaction with the crowd. Just metal. A handful of these songs keep me coming back for various reasons. For one, the band can’t decide which thrash band they like the best. They jump around from the mind-fucking Testament-meets-Throwdown “The Follow” to the Slayer-meets-Fear Factory “Merciless Slut Cult” to the old-school Metallica vibes of “Choke.” The top songs on the album are “Terminal Future” and “Fuck the Fire.”² “Terminal Future” is the most addictive song of the lot. The riffs are pleasing, but the chorus perfectly matches the instrumentation. Not to mention its back-end breakdown is sure to break some necks. “Fuck the Fire” shows off some nifty guitar and solo work while also delivering a pissed-off, Exodus-inspired chorus. It finally ends in Obituary bliss.

All in all, Chaotic Lethal is hella fun. Not everything works, and some tracks aren’t as memorable as others—like the meandering “Chaotic Lethal” and lengthy, doom-tinged “Faith Crime.” That said, this new album is easily the band’s best. After fifteen years, this crew has come together to make a solid piece of work. The guitars and drums put on a great show, and the vocals are face-fucking. It’s all over the place with the mix of influences, but it keeps you on your toes. You won’t find anything new here outside of the jumbling blend of styles, but if you’re looking for quick forty-five minutes of death/thrash, Chaotic Lethal might be for you.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: POST. Recordings
Websites: demiricousofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/demiricous
Releases Worldwide: May 13th, 2022