Review : 1349 – “Demonoir”

1349 – Demonoir
released April 26, 2010 on Indie Recordings

Rating: 4/5

It’s hard not giving Demonoir a 5.0 after hearing their previous pile of garbage. So yes, 1349 is good again. They’ve been better in the past, but Demonoir is a good Black Metal album.

The songs are interwoven with short instrumental/atmospheric/noise tracks (all named “Tunnel of Set” XI through XVII), in case you’re wondering how a Black Metal album manages to have 13 tracks. The album opens with the first minute-and-a-half instrumental track and pounds into “Atomic Chapel”, which might be highlight of the album. It’s grim and dissonant Black Metal, with many different parts, relentless at heart, but overproduced, as most of 1349 is. The structure of the music is definitely recognizable as being 1349, especially the way Ravn belts out the lyrics in his trademark spoken word style.

The worst part of the album is the production. It sounds too digital. Traditional Black Metal doesn’t need to sound completely raw, but it should hurt a bit to listen to. But in this case it’s just poorly produced in general— especially when the solo breaks out in “Psalm 7:77″—I imagine a third guitarist who recorded at a different studio, at a different time, using different equipment.

The other notable song is “The Devil of the Desert”—a very memorable track, with a catchy headbanging chorus and a little bit of melody. The album finishes with the slow and dismal title track followed by the final instrumental.

Try 2, 8, 10

1. Tunnel Of Set XI
2. Atomic Chapel
3. Tunnel Of Set XII
4. When I Was Flesh
5. Tunnel Of Set XIII
6. Psalm 7:77
7. Tunnel Of Set XIV
8. Pandemonium War Bells
9. Tunnel Of Set XV
10. The Devil Of The Desert
11. Tunnel Of Set XVI
12. Demonoir
13. Tunnel Of Set XVII