Demonication (The Manifest)

I am writing this review in order to boost the average rating of this overlooked classic and because this is one of my favorite death metal albums. A lot of people have been shunning this Swedish band for sounding too much like Deicide and Morbid Angel which I think is unfair and ignorant because the music is of superior quality. Yes there are some hints here and there of the aforementioned bands but the songs sound unique in their own right. The first listen left me intrigued and curious so I gave it a few more spins before I ultimately fell in love with it. This is an album you can enjoyably sit through from start to finish and gets better with each repeated listen.

The vocals done by Martin Nicklasson are diverse, aggressive, deep and guttural and for the most part decipherable. He sounds rather like a cross between David Vincent and Glen Benton but still easily distinguishable. There is also lots of shrieking ala Deicide that adds frightful and darker atmospheres to the already brutal sound. The lyrics typically deal with Satanism and antichristian themes and of course death. I like the song titles too they fit rather well with the concept of the whole album.

The guitars done by Michael and Wojtek are a major highlight. The awesome flow of riffs, tempo changes, guitar leads and bass lines make this an unstoppable head banging experience. The rhythm guitar and bass are down tuned as expected and both shred relentlessly throughout with catchy and technical proficiency catching the true essence of what death metal should sound like. The tempo is between mid to fast pace but mostly fast as the drums are almost always on full speed ahead. The lead solos usually kick in half way through the songs and are technically melodic and intricate on some songs and chaotic on others but always complimenting the music. The bass is also easily noticeable like the way it is on some of Deicide’s earlier records, very thick with menacing grooves. You also get to hear some solo bass lines like in the intro to "The Manifest" which puts the cherry on the cake for me.

The drumming is another big highlight, Peter Weiner’s skill is second to none and without doubt some of the best I have heard. The man’s feet are so quick and precise that the double bass sounds like it was done by a machine! Some believe they were triggered but there is no evidence to prove this and even if it was who gives a fuck it sounds awesome. There are blast beats at times that step up the brutality and the fills are well balanced and executed with technical proficiency. If you listen to this you will definitely notice the relentless brutality of the drums and the talent of this guy.

As for the production it is nice and crisp and I can't really fault it as all the songs sound perfectly arranged and polished. I think a lot of care was taken before they were happy with the finished product. Luciferion is also known for their covers and on this release they really trump all of them with their blackened death metal version of Sodom's "Blasphemer" which is just as good or dare I say it better than the original in my opinion. The good thing here is that all the songs do not sound similar and equally stand out making it hard to pick favorites.

Anyone who dismisses this album for being mediocre or a rip off is living in denial and should stop being so damn ignorant because this album is the dog’s bollocks! You might have a tough time trying to find this gem because I think it's out of print but if you should find one I would cop it immediately. You could also try downloading it on iTunes. 100% satisfaction, this one will stand the test of time.

When I first got this, I played the shit out of it. I LOVE old school death metal in the Morbid Angel and Deicide vein, and if you do too, then Luciferion comes highly reccommended. This perfectly fills the gap between those two bands, but sadly, does little else.

There are a good deal of intros, in the style of Hypocrisy's Osculum Obscenum, which set a pretty decent tone. There is a bit of noodling with keys in the middle sections as well, which bring a degree of darkness and real evil into the music. The sample in "Rebel Souls" from the third Exorcist movie really works well, especially preceeding that fantastic lead right after it.

The music is over the top fucking nastiness. Think Vital Remains first album with a bit more polished. And yes, the drumming on here is viscious, despite being triggered. Riffs are twisted and played with an emphasis on killing you. When things get really fast, everything stays tight, which is pretty rare for early Deicide.

Where it falls apart is the vocals. The patterns are quite similar in sound and rhthym as David Vincent's work on Covenant. Yes, they're powerful, but no, they're nothing special. And a lot of the songs begin to blend together after a while, which is sad, because there are some really great parts of songs (mid sections of "Rebel Souls" and the title track, the timpanis on "Hymns of the Immortals."

On a side note, I heard that Wojtek tried out for Erik Rutan's spot in Morbid Angel. Doesn't surprise me, because with all the layering of guitars and keyboards, as well as his superb neo-classical soloing, he would have fit perfectly in that band.

I think that with a few years of experience, and more work on being an original band, Luciferion would have become something much better. As it stands, this is a very amusing piece of work, certainly something unique coming from Sweden, but not much else.

Morbid Angel, Deicide, Suffocation, Sodom, Slayer, Destruction...If you have any kind of affinity with one of these (as I suspect 99% of the users would), Luciferion's killer debut "Demonication: The Manifest" is a definite Must-Have.
I discovered this album five years ago, when I was heavily into Morbid Angel and Deicide. Luciferion takes the best elements of these bands and creates a ferocious death metal assault out of it.

A song like "Graced By Fire" pounds away on a constant speed level, shifting between fast bass/snare umtah's and blastbeats. Luciferion manage to stay coherent on even their fastest passages.
What's even better are songs like "On The Wings of The Emperor", with its high level of epic melodies and whammysqueal soloing.
Pesonal favorite has to be "Rebel Souls". It starts out galloping, breaking up in three 'china cymbal' crashes. Deicide like riffs and extremely guttural and decadent vocals lead it to what, in my humble opinion, is one of the most briliant guitar solo's ever to emerge from death metal. Any guitar freak out there should at least listen to this stuff. From melodic passages to deicidian/slayerlike chaos, it's all there. Fuck, I love this stuff!

A couple of minor problems with this cd. Take the intro for instance. You hear some kind of satanic ritual being performed and some evil priest chants like fifty different names for that guy with the pitchfork. Then, some kind of demon emerges and starts ranting backwards and the priest mumbles "You again...". And if that's not enough, a synthesiser starts playing a bombastic tune that takes about 16 bars too long to be interesting. Also, it reminded me a lot of the intro to Hypocrisy's "Osculum Oscenum".

Another thing is the obvious ripping-off of other bands. But then again, I find that to be no biggie. I've had lost of fun dissecting this album, figuring out which piece of music comes from which classic (death) metal song. Some vocal dynamics are identical to Dave Vincent on "Covenant", and riffs are being stolen left, right and centre. But Luciferion admitts to have made this album as a tribute to their favorites (qoute from the thank-you list: "...Morbid Angel for making the death metal bible, 'Covenant'").

This album is pure quality, not too original but highly effective and recommended!