Review by Michael on March 21, 2023.

Oops, is this new In Flames? That was my first (positive) thought when I heard the intro to 'Feeding The Decline', the first song on Deimos' Dawn debut. Melancholic violin sounds (as they were also heard on the debut album of the Swedes from what it feels like a 1000 years ago) start the song but after about 25 seconds a Tom Araya memorial scream ends this mind game and you get a nasty, brute thrash riff rolling around the ears and this will be repeated on all eleven songs in a similar form.

What this new German thrash metal band formed around Marc Grewe plays is uncompromising thrash, which stays on a high tempo mostly, but also slows down here and there in favor of some groovy elements. For example 'The Final Illusion', which starts quite modern but develops into a galloping stomper that is very catchy and has a quite great chorus.
'Over Your Dead Body' reminds me in parts of newer Kreator (guitars), with Marc's vocals giving it a heavier touch than, for example, "Hate Über Alles" has. The song is also very catchy and has some cool groovy parts that almost invite you to bang. Whereas, when Marc tries to sing a bit more melodic, the whole thing sounds like a slightly drunk Lemmy (although, as we know, there never was such a thing). Songs like 'The 4th Wall' or 'Two Handed Game' remind of Forbidden on their "Distortion" album and also a few bluesy influences like in "When In Doubt: Kill!", which have strong parallels to Overkill and of course Black Sabbath. A really cool thrash highlight can be found on 'Put Down That Weapon' pretty much at the end of the album. The song starts pretty quiet and then literally explodes in the further course. Especially the chorus is aggressive and insistent but the whole song is also spiced up with a few casual thrash guitar solos. That song is a real grenade. Also 'Unholy Water' impresses with its catchiness and melody and reminds of Morgoth a bit. The song is played mainly mid-tempo thrash, which is ultra groovy and guaranteed to be a real live banger.

As a conclusion it can be said that Deimos' Dawn have presented a damn good thrash metal debut which skillfully combines modern sounds with old school thrash on which all five musicians show their skills. Marc Grewe shows that he can perform not death metal only but also thrash and now I'm curious about what else will come from him and the band. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 5, 2019.

With 2 demos being released under Caligari’s flag, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid woke the sleeping with a disturbance of death/doom metal emphasizing on heavy chugging bass lines, a mix of droning guitar-tones and cavernous vocals. Whilst this effort joins the multitude of other releases displaying similar styles, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid on Demo II exercises a concentrated emphasis on transmitting a tumultuous atmosphere. 

As with Demo I the bass tone was audible but also very scrambly and irritating at times as it intervened with the music; however, the production on Demo II is stout and balanced thus ensuring a listening experience that is easier on the ears. Not to be mistaken, Demo II sounds very much raw; however, this added layer of bass and cautious mastering has helped by tightening the angle of the compositions. Another worth mentioning improvement over their debut is the song-writing that was a bit of a letdown; on this occasion though, the band takes more chances in mixing and rearranging some properties of their produce. Eg Demo I held firm to monotonous repetition that really choked the parameters for elaboration; on Demo II, they play with the compositions thus achieving a confident and furnished veneer. Also the vocals stood out more on the first demo, but here the heavy bass tone brings everything to an even level causing the music to appear less rowdy, more harmonized.

The first and arguably the best track, “Flesh Divinations for the Ego Plundered Psyche”, immediately reminded me of Lykhaeon’s "Chthonios I" vocally (with some tweaking along the way), that was already a winner, and the band’s enhanced shuffling between death and doom metal kept the experience fresh. The transitions between the genres are wisely structured considering how often they do imply such shifts; and in collaboration with the controlled mix, these aspects pop like bright colors when presented. The rest of the record follows this path when going full doom metal, death metal or blending the two. 

As to what the appeal of this new demo will have to connoisseurs of the craft lies within Bloodsoaked Necrovoid’s understanding of musical growth and how it’s accomplished. You can tell the group had seized the opportunity to rectify the more glaring faults of Demo I; and by doing so they bred a successful offering that has improved their posture as a working lot. This implies Bloodsoaked Necrovoid is committed to achieving excellence through the development of their musicianship. There still are refinements that can be made to Demo II, some of which could see Bloodsoaked Necrovoid assume a dominant presence within the underground.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10