When Demoniac released So It Goes back in 2020/2021, they wowed a lot of metal folks with their unique take on classic thrash. That record attacked the genre in so many interesting ways, using progressive song structures to create a thrash journey that had to be heard to be believed. But the thing that really pushed these Chileans into the spotlight was their use of interesting instrumentation, including some piano and, most notably, the clarinet. The latter’s incorporation gave So It Goes a bizarre character that took some getting used to, but get used to it I did because I eventually included the record in my Top Ten(ish) of 2021. As is always the case when a favorite band releases a follow up, I’ve found myself apprehensive about how new Demoniac can possibly live up to such a monumental album. So It Goes was just the right amount of “weird” for me. Let’s see if its successor Nube Negra can capitalize on the band’s strengths to wow me a second time in as many years.
Soundwise, Demoniac pick right back up where they left off with So It Goes. Classic thrash embellished by strange time signatures and classical movements are the name of the game once again. The opening title track begins with a long sample of a thunderstorm (Nube Negra translates as “Black Cloud”) backing some finger-picked acoustic guitar before the thrash tempest makes landfall. Incredibly fast riffing, mind-blowing fretless bass, and wild solos litter the track, and when combined with the violent vocals and tempo changes, it truly feels like I’m getting tossed around by Mother Nature.
There might be something wrong with me—and I’m sure you dear readers will tell me in the comments if you think there is—but I’m failing to connect to the songs on Nube Negra despite the fact that the musicianship on display happens to be very, very good. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cool moments here, including the intro riff on “Ácaro,” the riff at the midpoint of “Granada,” and the bizarre mid-album synth/accordion interlude “Synthèse d’accords,” but where So It Goes had moment after moment that leapt out and smacked me across the face with a palmful of razor blades, this time around that sensation is few and far between. There are many passages that dazzle my mind with their complexity, but they fail to grab that most important organ of musical enjoyment: my heart.
Nube Negra is eight tracks and 41 minutes long, ideal for an old-school thrash album, but it ends up feeling a lot longer. The record’s flow feels disjointed and strange. Take for instance the two-minute protracted, subdued outro of penultimate track “Veneno.” It slams the breaks on any momentum the track had built, and feels like it should be closing the album. The transitions between the first three tracks are very jarring, then the third track blends seamlessly into the fourth, so much so that it took many listens before I realized they were different tracks. I just get no sense of where the album is or where it’s going, and that leaves me feeling mostly indifferent about the whole experience. When it comes to standout tracks, I’m at a loss. The whole album is a dazzling whirlwind of activity that evacuates my brain the moment the storm passes.
Nube Negra is musically impressive. It’s a precision-made automaton, but like all automatons, it feels soulless. There are razor-sharp riffs and virtuosic passages splattered across the record, but they fail to gel together into cohesive songs, or at least cohesive songs that I actually want to listen to in full. Instead of this automaton, I was hoping Demoniac would unleash a hulking beast that radiates primal organic energy, but this effort ultimately ends up feeling cold and clinical. It’s worth a spin or two for the performances, but I won’t be coming back very often.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Edged Circle Productions
Websites: demoniac.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/demoniacchile
Releases Worldwide: September 1st, 2023
