Release date:24th April

Label: Dying Victims Productions

Review

“As Lucifer Smiles” is the kind of opening track every heavy metal band would kill to write: brief keyboard intro, no pointless stretching, a catchy riff that hits straight to the throat, frontal and murderous, and a demolishing drum attack that keeps hammering the chords, then after a short breath pumps oxygen back into the sonic machinery, unleashing a display of pure wickedness, amplified by the seasoned voice of Federico Fano, soaring highs, a far more controlled vibrato, evoking the sharpest edge of King Diamond, that unholy creature switching between a spiteful, whining falsetto and glass-shattering shrieks. No guitar solo? Not quite, there are bridges between verses and choruses, harmonic shifts, rapid fills, but here Francesco Bauso deliberately sidesteps the obvious, something we will tear apart later.

Fully aware of the first strike, “Hexes and Horrors” has to keep the bar high and it does: straight out of an 80s horror reel, keyboards open the gates before another frontal six-string assault crashes in. Demon Spell’s real weapon is not complexity, it is concentration, channeling everything into memorable riffs, simple, effective, sharpened by the crushing drumming of Dario Casabona and the voice of Federico, exaggerated, piercing, theatrical, drenched in colors and venom. Riccardo Liberti does his job, functional, reinforcing the rhythmic spine, filling silences with ease, though let’s be honest, he could step out of the shadows next time instead of just holding the damn wall.

“Curse of The Undead” wastes no time pretending: it kicks in immediately with frantic palm-muted strikes on a single string, injecting a fast, dizzying solo packed with time shifts, yet never losing that reckless rock and roll grin. Everything explodes before the first verse even lands, that urgency is the fuel, vibrant, flashy, with a rhythmic structure that almost dares you not to move.

“High on Sacrifice” leans into that rock and roll skeleton: drums firm, square, sustained, tight hi-hat work, everything glued together by a chain of powerful, hook-loaded chords. The groove hits hard, carries the speed without collapsing. Bass lines sit comfortably, carving space for the guitar work, which avoids sterile technical masturbation and goes instead for harmonic drive, sustained notes, scales that push forward. Vocals go full excess here, high, vibrating, stretching lines to their breaking point. A standout track, easily as essential as the opener if you want to understand what Demon Spell is actually carving into stone.

“The Tolling” flips the record into its B-side: a short intro opens into a mid-tempo piece with a razor-sharp sense of rhythm, moving between effective power chords and chopped, percussive phrasing. Here Federico channels Diamond even more blatantly, and the composition drips with the ghost of Mercyful Fate, tempo breaks, polished riffs building tension, accelerating with quick stabs at the end of each section, soaked in that 80s thrash and speed metal inheritance.

“Dive The Hellfire” is the road anthem, straight out of the Judas Priest highway code, even more frontal, armed with sky-high, destructive screams. Drums control the pacing with brief cymbal pauses before igniting the speed again. The lead guitar is efficient, no circus tricks, no pointless shredding, it serves the melody and pushes it forward. The last third introduces new riffs and structures, killing predictability on the spot, ride and crash hits inject that asphalt-burning sensation, especially in the final bridge and chorus where the vocals keep climbing, higher and higher, like they are trying to tear the sky open.

“Premonitions” is a short piece, under two minutes, arpeggiated guitars sketching a dark, elusive melody, a proper prelude to the closer, “Blessed the Dark”, the title track. Fully aware it is closing the ritual, it starts slow, mysterious, then shifts into classic heavy metal territory, semi-gallops, sharp accents at the end of each phrase, cutting and relentless. The drumming deserves the praise it keeps getting, Casabona is not just keeping time, he is stalking it, walking, trotting, sprinting across measures, relentless double-kick work, cymbals deployed with precision, a frightening sense of control. Damn it, a human metronome that can adapt to whatever the song demands without blinking.

Conclusion

Not a perfect 10, because yes, the band still bleeds too openly from its influences, but let’s not insult this by calling it another graveyard cosplayer whistling in the dark. These are skilled musicians, each one sharp with their weapon, and this is not a lazy collage of references. There is identity here, a defined sound, something that cuts through. If they stay disciplined and relentless, they will keep delivering heavier, sharper, more dangerous metal.

TheNwothm Score: 9/10

Links

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/demonspellband

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/demonspell.band

Label: https://dying-victims.de/