Review by Michael on March 24, 2022.

With Unhallow we have another all-star band hailing from Sweden coming up with their first demo Daemonum. If you take a look at the line-up, you will notice that both musicians are deeply rooted in the Swedish death metal scene. Robert Sennebäck is mainly the guitar player in Dismember and his companion in Unhallow is Joakim Sterner, drummer in Necrophobic. Here in Unhallow, Robert is doing the vocals, strings and piano and Joakim is responsible for percussion.

Listening to the music you wouldn't notice these two bands necessarily in what the two guys are playing. The demo starts with 'Over Vast Deaths' which is a gloomy creeping track that unfolds its effect best when you hear it loud and in the darkness. The whispered vocals underline this demonic and sinister atmosphere quite well. Of course you can find some death (and also some black) metal tunes in it but there are a lot of classic metal riffs in the track, too. A very punchy production gives 'Over Vast Deaths' a quite modern touch. The other track on the demo is 'Through The Blizzard' which is more mid-tempo. The guitar riff in the beginning reminds a lot of some NWoBHM bands and shows some main influences of both musicians. The track is a quite calm but a groovy stomper that lives more through the frosty atmosphere than aggressiveness or the usual death metal riffing.

I guess the demo wasn't created to reduce some frustrations while listening to it but to put the listener in a certain uncomfortable and haunting mood. Take some spooky literature, light up a candle and listen to Unhallow – this may be a very good help to create oneself an adequate horror evening.

Let's hope to get some more of that stuff soon!!!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10