Review by Tomek on May 2, 2019.

Spain’s Demonik I’ve listened to in 2013 is gone. Not the band of course, since I’m writing this review, but the musical hot mess they left in my memory. The changes they’ve implemented in the last couple of years are staggering, and with the multitude of new elements and brand-new personality presented here they’re creating a good stir in the metal community already. Their new album called Rise from Chaos is the best proof of the progress. The production on the album is powerful and attractively modern, making it easy to listen to - and with somewhere around 70 minutes of duration of this album, it is very important. Demonik released Rise From Chaos last October. Album was recorded and mixed in Sadman Studios, Madrid by Carlos Santos and then mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Professionally produced video for one of the tracks from the album called “Insomnia” was the highest viewed video premiere in their history with huge positive press that followed. The changes worked.

The simplest description of their sound and the music they’ve served on this disc would be to mark them ‘thrash’; but it wouldn’t do justice to what is going on this album since there is so many more pieces fused together on Rise from Chaos. Bay Area thrash is a solid base that carries this album throughout, but it’s the addition of the elements of melodic death, power/symphonic, groove some modern metal that bumps this album from interesting category to truly remarkable. Bands like Annihilator, Testament, Death Angel, Machine Head or Trivium come to mind at some moments, but it’s only in terms of blueprint of a fascination or soft shadow of influence - and mostly when melodies and harmonies come out to the front. If it comes to music that was offered on Raise From Chaos - it is a very tight and entertaining thrash-based album with outstanding rhythm section that brings this disc’s energy to another level. Great guitar work brings loads of aggression and groove when necessary but there’s also plenty of intriguing melody lines, wonderful harmonies and stand out soloing. Growls and shouts are used mostly here but there’s also clean vocal sections and even a female vocalist in one of the songs.

Most of the songs on the disc are arranged in typical manner and develop very much conventionally throughout the album, but there is a thing that makes this album different than most out there. Whilst number of the songs and the length of most of them seems pretty regular on the album, there are few of them that make this album stand out and show the band trying to push themselves and their art forward. “Voices From Hell’ is one of them and lasts more than 24 minutes, another one is “To Live” lasting a bit over 13, and there’s “Legion” closing the disc with its 8 minute span. Going for such lengthy songs even when you are a seasoned veteran could end in disaster but these guys are not known as such - which makes me appreciate how ambitious this was much more. All 3 songs are very well thought out and notably developed pieces and listening to all 3 is quite a treat which makes me give those guys mad respect.

Recording and releasing such album was a huge risk for those guys but I believe it will pay off. There are things to be worked on and reworked and polished but in the end, it will be a success I believe, and I am eager to find out what Demonik will do in the future. They’re a bunch of very inventive and courageous individuals and I wish them all the best. I’m very impressed with Rise From Chaos and I will gladly recommend this one to everyone, but I’m also waiting for more. Good job guys but don’t stop there.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10