Annihilation of one thing can be the key for another one to flourish. While this applies to a multitude of occasions from natural events to interpersonal ones (sans those inflicted by man’s appetite for havoc, greed, corruption, whathaveyou), the sentiment is very much in place with music as well. Sometimes you need to wear the flesh off from the bones, pulverize them, add some liquid substances of your own, and mold a new entity out of the remaining paste.
Somewhere in the murky crossroads of noisy electronics, black metal, and downright horror, the entity going by Demonologists was sculptured in, and this vessel of aural dread is gearing up to release their new full-length Rakshasa via Aesthetic Death and Phage Tapes on April 18. Today, we’re glad to team up with them to present to you this endeavor in full, ahead of its release later this week. So dim the lights, put on some headphones or dial up your speakers to an ungodly extent, and hit play from below;
Demonologists is a duo based in Indiana, and have been meticulously chipping away on their very distinct abysmally-hued craft for about two decades now, having released an ensemble of albums and splits since 2007. Rakshasa is not merely an additional to that comprehensive discography, but perhaps the act’s most incisive and caustic record to date. The entirety is filled to the brim with howling despair and unfathomable terror, making up for a perversely enthralling and absorbing listen.
The band gave us some insight to the album’s backgrounds;
‘A rakshasa is a demon or evil spirit, often depicted as a malevolent being with supernatural powers, who disrupts the natural order and is a source of chaos and destruction. The word ‘rakshasa’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘rakshas,’ which means ‘injury’ or “to harm’. Rakshasas were created by the anger caused by hunger within the creator. Their existence seems to parallel the destructive patterns that emerge from preservation instincts that persist beyond their need. These patterns can manifest in a multitude of ways. The songs on the album reflect this concept, in settings of destruction, projected both internally and externally.
‘We didn’t stray too far from our more recent and current path of horror fueled industrial filth on Rakshasa. As we head deeper into industrial territory, we’ve never completely abandoned the blackened noise world from which we’ve come from. There are still elements of blackened noise found throughout this collection, as well as influences from other darker styles of music.’
Continuing with further details on the rather impressive guest list;
‘As anyone that’s been following us knows, we’ve grown accustomed to reaching out to friends for collaborative efforts, and the tracks found on this album include perhaps some of the best examples of this pursuit. We enjoy the process and find that it keeps things fresh and interesting. Rakshasa features appearances by David Reed (Envenomist), Terry Vainoras (Vainoras and the Altar of the Drill), Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses), Andy Ortmann (Panicsville), Grant Richardson (Gnawed), and Eric Wood (Bastard Noise).
‘On the first track “Rakshama”, David Reed and Terry Vainoras help to introduce the album with a blend of ominous ambience and frantic hysteria. The next track “Rat Piss Receptacle” features Bill Moseley, who further explains that this is a celebration of the curse that has plagued mankind since ancient eras gone by. Andy Ortmann helps create the landscape of a massacre, and how the violence has and will travel through eons that come before and after its expression on “Nebulaeic Phantasm As Eloquently Dreamt By The Abominable Primordial Ooze”. The track “Ritual Death” featuring Grant Richardson, portrays a singular execution admired by its assassin as an exquisite piece of art. The final song, and first ‘single’ from the album features Eric Wood vocalizing what’s to come of the destructive patterns intrinsic in humanity, utter non-existence. The preservation of the human race against nature has turned perverse. The death avoided resurfaces as a suicidal lifestyle of insecurity. This is what Rakshasa expresses. Our longtime visual and video collaborator, Andy Wallis (Displaced/Replaced), created a striking video for the track “Symbiosis Omen”. Be sure to check it out…’
Rakshasa indeed feels like a collective effort thanks to its exquisite layering in both instrumentation and thematics, but in a thoroughly authentic way. I have a tendency to flinch at things labeled ‘horror’ in one way or the other, but here, the term fits. Demonologists have conjured up an album that’s deeply terrifying and spine-tingling, yet somehow beckoning and inviting. There is too much to unpack within a single premiere article, but you should know that you are getting yourself into something rather dire, profound, and greatly unsettling with this album.
Being veterans on their field, Demonologists are pushing themselves further on each passing year and release, which is amazing to witness from afar. While Rakshasa is really, really fucking far from easy listening and baiting the masses, it sure as shit is rewarding as hell for those of us invested in the more twisted and cacophony sides of things.
Rakshasa can be pre-ordered via Phage Tapes over here and via Aesthetic Death from here. Demonologists‘ Bandcamp offers a good glance at their past doings, and be sure to follow the duo on Facebook to stay up to speed on the band’s dreadful ways.
