Demon Hunter
Extremist

It has been several years since my last review (I hope I’m not too rusty) and many things have changed both in me and in the world of music. Until 8-10 years ago, you had to borrow the album from a friend or read a review to understand it more. Now, just go on YouTube and listen to the album directly. Maybe reviews don’t matter to many people now, I don’t know, but one thing is certain: nothing has changed when it comes to my passion and that of the DeUsers for music of all genres, especially metal. Unfortunately, the laziness of certain readers who comment on the excessive length of some reviews hasn’t changed either; it’s debatable and personal perception, but I’m curious how one can’t find 2 minutes to read a review but find 50 minutes to listen to an album.

For a long time, I have been drawn to what is called "white metal" (which, as you well know, is nothing more than metal with lyrics inspired by the Christian faith!) Among the standout representatives of the last 10-15 years are Demon Hunter, a band formed in 2000 by brothers Don and Ryan Clark in the shadow of the Space Needle in Seattle, a city that in the past has produced, among other notable bands, Alice in Chains, Nevermore, and Foo Fighters, but most importantly, it gave birth to the legend Jimi Hendrix!

I don’t want to do a song-by-song breakdown, but I want to highlight the most important features of “Extremist”. The album opens with “Death,” which begins with the Latin chant "mors, obitus, decessus" and continues with a dark and pathos-laden progression. The subsequent track “Artificial Light,” with beautiful guitar lines and excellent rhythmic changes, stands as one of the best on the album. The riffs keep the listener’s attention high and are well-balanced throughout the song, blending with the aggressive screaming vocals of the verses and pre-chorus, switching to clean vocals in the choruses.

Tracks like “One Last Song,” “Cross to Bear,” “In Time,” and “Beyond Me” present sounds that deeply delve into the band’s metallic repertoire, highlighting their major influences (In Flames and Soilwork above all!) both musically and in Ryan’s alternating scream/clean vocals. The level of compositions is excellent, with fresh riffs and the band’s personality covering everything like icing on a cake, delightful metal tracks.

The rest of the album presents a collection of truly interesting riffs, remarkable solos performed masterfully (mostly by Patrick Judge), and great choruses. Almost all the tracks showcase the classic alternation between power riffs and musical aggression with slower and melodic segments, as the band has always done. The singing often varies from scream to clean with always excellent and well-controlled transitions.

Although the album doesn’t significantly depart from the band’s past, it presents fewer fast tracks and more ballads compared to the previous “True Defiance.” Nothing to complain about the choice, rather, mine is a mere observation. That being said, I find this album a concentration of musical evolution that does not lack creativity.

They have never hidden their faith, and even in this album, they dot the ‘i’s in songs like “The Last One Alive” (a catchy and easy to listen to mid-tempo) where Ryan loudly proclaims he’d rather be the last Christian on earth than just any non-believer, or in “Gasoline” (a slow ballad that "transforms," listen to believe), a response to those who have always criticized them for being Christians.

In the same vein, the splendid ballad “I Will Fail You” showcases Ryan’s vocal talents, whose baritone and clean voice fills our ears with its clear and rich tone. In the lyrics, Ryan reminds himself and us, with extreme certainty, that we are all human and make mistakes, and sooner or later we will fail in meeting the expectations others have of us.

“Extremist” is overall an enjoyable album already at the first listen for both newcomers and long-time fans. An album that I certainly cannot consider a milestone but remains a good choice for those who want to listen to an album filled with multiple stylistic influences that range from the most classic modern death metal of European influence to slower and reflective tracks, to others with some more metalcore or alternative oriented sounds, and in some cases nearly touching nu-metal. Clearly, at least a listen is required for old fans (who I think already own the album for a few months!) who won’t be disappointed.

Demon Hunter makes us feel that they are evolving, but they also remind us that the locomotive is still the same, the train is running on the same tracks, and every now and then they vary the speed a bit.