Personal Demon

Ever picked up an album purely on the basis of it's cover art? It sounds shallow, but sometimes it pays off. When I saw the cover of Pandemia's "Personal Demon", it spoke to me in a way that only monster cockroaches storming a giant yellow head could. Basically, it said "buy me".

So I did, and I wasn't sorry. Pandemia don't do anything particularly original or mind altering on this album, they play a conservative brand of heavy death metal with meaty riffs, growling vocals, and relentless bass drumming. But he fact of the matter is, that the band do such a convincing job of conveying the music through the recording that even the most cynical metalheads will have a hard time resisting the sheer force pummeling their stereos.

The production is thick and modern, but it manages to simultaneously sound authentic, and doesn't sound clicky, hollow, or digital. The mix of instruments works well, lots of guitar, lots of drums, and plenty of demented growling. The songwriting is top notch, with many catchy riffs, and some well thought out lyrics (not that any of them are decipherable). The best part is that all of the songs are lean and focused, the album runs just shy of half an hour, which suits the style perfectly. There are no complicated for the sake of complicated riffs, no self indulgent shred fests, and, best of all, no Jazz fills. The band doesn't try to be anything that they aren't, and the result is a straightforward and honest record that will satisfy most and leave a lasting impression.

Negatives? There aren't any glaring weaknesses, but it's certainly true that this album isn't exactly a revolution in any style, and its also true that the songwriting isn't particularly varied. However for a young band with broad horizons, its definitely worth picking up and listening to.