Review by Felix on April 14, 2026.

Ever since the dawn of metal, Friday the 13th has always been a significant date – remember Black Sabbath’s debut from 1970. Okay, the way from this legend to Dødmoon is twice as long as the Milky Way, but a Chinese proverb says that every journey begins with the first step. The Finnish newcomers have taken this step. Signal Rex presents their demo. Admittedly, sometimes it is not a good idea to jump to conclusions, but in some cases, things are less complex than they seem. So yes, we get three tracks of pure and pretty raw black metal. Its most aggressive component is the extremely distorted vocals. It bears only a distant resemblance to a human voice. It stands shoulder to shoulder with the hammering, belligerent opener, but it provides a stark contrast to the atmospheric keyboard lines of 'Victorious Signs Of Arcane Madness'. This track reveals the talent of the band (or am I writing about another one-man project?). The guitar lines guarantee some opaque layers for a solid foundation, while the keyboards appear later in order to bring the density and aura of the song to the next level. A breeze of Northern melancholy floats through the room, while the hammering drums promise to fight until the bitter end. Even the vocals show almost human traits, albeit only minimally. An awesome piece, no doubt at all.

The further tracks show a less fascinating picture without being insubstantial or amateurishly arranged. Quite the opposite, the songs are based on mature structures which illustrate the meticulous work of the band. The fact that these tracks do not work as brilliantly as the highlight is due to the less impressive guitar lines. For example, the closer wants to bring the demo to an end with some spooky vibes, but the execution of this idea does not fully convince – it is rather just an unspectacular ending. When it comes to the opener, not everything that glitters is gold, too. A few standardised lines show their pale (yet not corpse-painted) face. Nevertheless, 'Reaped By The Dark Light' and 'Hail Of Hellfire' have their good moments, and I cannot expect a perfect first move from a new black metal horde. So all in all, this demo brings absolutely no innovation into the global scene, but its production is okay and spreads some underground flair, and one highlight and two respectable tracks represent a good harvest. Maybe some of you like to check it out.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10