Review Summary: Same formula; better results.
At first glance, it’s difficult to make out what message the Swedish melodic metal sextet
Demotional are trying to convey. For starters, their name is stylized as “dEMOTIONAL,” much like the Australian death doom band
diSEMBOWELMENT, but you would sooner find similarities between presidents George Washington and George W. Bush than you would these two groups. Not to mention Demotional dress like they’re fresh out of the late ‘90s post-punk revival movement. Musically, the band follow a similar formula as fellow Swedes
Sonic Syndicate do – melodeath inspired riffs, synth-laden breakdowns, and catchy pop choruses – which doesn’t exactly sound like a good recipe on paper; and it isn’t. Trying to coalesce so many conflicting styles is a surefire way to have an incoherent, amateurish sounding product. Despite all odds being against them, however, Demotional manage to make the best out these unappealing qualities by focusing on songwriting and structuring their songs in a logical fashion rather than emphasizing these outlandish ideas as flamboyantly as possible. Yes, Demotional have grown up since their mediocre debut
State: In Denial and have managed to release a mildly enjoyable, ambitious collection of songs on their sophomore release,
Tarassis.
The basic mechanics of Demotional as a band hasn’t changed much since
State: In Denial. Singers Christopher Kristensen and Nills-Petter Nilsson handle the harsh and clean vocals respectively while Sebastian Fjordevik remains the guitarist-songwriter mastermind of the group. Rather, the differences present themselves in a subtle fashion. The production is beefier this time around, giving the metalcore riffs actual punch behind them and also allowing the synth leads to shine without muddling in with other voices. As noted, there are improvements in the actual songwriting that give the tracks a sense of cohesion and completeness. Take opener ‘Hero in Me’ for example: it begins with an electronic theme before exploding into a thrashy –core fest fit with gang vocals and fast riffs, subsequently dipping into the song’s breakdown/chorus with the singers harmonizing a pleasantly melodic hook. The song continues in the alternating verse-chorus technique before fading out with the same electronic motif with which it began. Straightforward structures may not seem like much of a feat, but they do prevent the songs from bleeding into one another and gives each track a unique personality of their own, for better or worse.
Unfortunately, not all of Demotional’s faults have been remedied on
Tarassis. The
Scott Stapp impersonations are still there; not nearly as present as before, but they do rear their ugly head in songs such as ‘Follow’ and ‘Neverland’. Vocal duties in general are handled far better than on
State: In Denial. Growls take precedent over croons, and thankfully Kristensen has strong enough screaming chops to hold you through the album’s more mundane moments. There’s also the cheese factor – yes, it’s melodic metal, but not everything has to be so saccharine and polished for it to be effective. Having said that,
Tarassis is a step in the right direction for Demotional in more ways than one. The melodies are better, the riffs are tighter, and the cheese is, well, not nearly as grating as it once was. The fact remains that Demotional chose to pursue a fundamentally hostile genre: melodic metal; and to quote the band: “We will fight ‘till the last drop of tear, blood and sweat to succeed. We love what we do and will always keep doing it.” What the hell that means and whether or not it’s a good thing is up to you. Demotional will still aim to be the biggest melodic metal band in the genre. As far as I’m concerned, hats off to them for trying to salvage a sinking ship, and as for their grandiose aspirations, well at least now they’re on the right track.
