Hegemony – Demo MMXVI (Goatprayer Records. 2016).

Hegemony – Demo MMXVI (Goatprayer Records. 2016).

From Birmingham, Alabama, comes a savage band of barbarians ready to desecrate, violate, and conquer all with their Bestial Black Metal. Musically, the band is a mixture of Death Metal and Black Metal, similar in some respects to Diocletian and Revenge. After the introduction, a fairly brief slower section somewhat reminiscent of Revenge and having that same tyrannical aura and helping to build up the tension, the band comes rocketing forth on the first track, No Throne Left To Topple, with a furious assault on the senses, a piece of martial prowess possessed by the hubris one would expect of a feared warlord. From that first track to the concluding Fist of Heretical Triumph, you find yourself subjected to authoritarian Black Death Metal chaos, with some crushing slower sections sandwiched between maniacal, rabid riffs that are merciless in their attack. The riffs are not overly complex, but are rather quite primitive and bludgeoning, being able to perfectly convey the militaristic feel. The song structures are again similar to those of the aforementioned Diocletian and Revenge. When listening to this, there is, for me at least, a sense of being present for the sight of demons tearing down the gates of Heaven and bringing forth the reign of Hell. This is dark, demonic Metal of Death that commands your attention, especially during the slower sections, which often feel as if the ground is disintegrating beneath you, opening you up to the swirling conflagration of the Abyss. The guitars sound raw and beefy, able to smash your skull. With the drums, they are not overly loud in the mix, which is not too bad, however at points they aren’t as audible as I would like. Nevertheless, this still sounds crushing for a demo. Admittedly, this is a relatively short demo, being just shy of 13 minutes long, but it shows that the band has a lot of promise and has me salivating for more. 8/10.