Review by Ryan Onstad
When it comes to Demon Hunter's new CD Storm the Gates of Hell, there is only one word that can really do it justice."Brutal". Demon Hunter's newest offering is the band truly at it's finest. You can hear the growth that has continued to propel the band into being one of the leaders of the Christian underground metal scene.
I've been a "Hunter" (which is what loyal Demon Hunter fans have dubbed themselves) since 2002, when there first disc, "Demon Hunter" hit shelves.
Like many, I was quick to write them off as being some lame Christian act. With a name like "Demon Hunter", how could I not? I thought the name "Demon Hunter" was the very quintacentle example of a hokey Christian band name. So when I heard that, I didn't even bother listening to them. The tide turned for me when I caught there video for "Infected" on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. I missed the first half of the video, so when at the end I saw that it was Demon Hunter playing the track I started to think maybe I should check them out and I'm glad I did!
The members that make up Demon Hunter all come from
very diverse worlds. Vocalist Ryan Clark and his brother Don on Guitar
are
the head designers for "Asterisk Studios". Asterisks has designed
CD booklets for nearly every artist on Tooth and Nail and Solid State
Records, as well as shirt designs for many other acts like including Liz
Phair, P.O.D., and The White Stripes among others. Asterisk Studios has
twice been nominated for a Grammy Award as well for there artistic work
on Norma Jean's O God, the Aftermath and Fair's disc The
Best Worst-Case Scenario. Lead guitarist Ethan Luck has played in
a wide range of bands and musical styles before joining Demon Hunter.
Among his lengthy resume, he played guitar for Christian Ska music kings
The O.C. Supertones as well as guest work with Pop/Punk act Relient K.
Bassist Jon Dunn's day job is one of convenience. He's an A&R rep
for Demon Hunter's label - Tooth and Nail/Solid State records. Timothy
"Yogi" Watts rounds out the crew on the drums.
Demon Hunter's successes so far are nothing to be scoffed at. Their word of mouth success and internet buzz has propelled them to where they are today, selling over 250,000 records to date. Several of there videos have aired of MTV's Headbanger's Ball. They have also received writes ups in major magazines like Revolver and many others. Christian music has been receiving a positive face lift in recent years, thanks to bands like Demon Hunter, as well as As I Lay Dying, Norma Jean and Underoath. While all the members of Demon Hunter are all practicing Christians and there faith obviously effect there way of life, thinking and lyric writing, many of the themes in Demon Hunter's songs are about not too uncommon subjects already for the Metal world. Many of there songs deal with truth, the persuit of truth and belief, as well as belief in someone else, belief in yourself and standing up for yourself. While other topics include love lost, neglect, and the usual sorrow and regret.
What helps Demon Hunter stand out from the crowd is Ryan Clark's vocals. His searing vocals make your ears take note quickly. His clean vocal tones make you want to hum along to any of there lighter work. Some would compare Ryan Clark to a very distant version of Howard Jones from Killswitch Engage. Infact, Howard is a fellow Hunter infact, he paid his respects to the band by singing on the track "Our Faces Fall Apart" from 2004's Summer of Darkness. Another thing that I enjoy about Demon Hunter is Yogi's drumming. Man, that guy can play! He is good enough to compete with any of the other well known metal drummers out there today! Ethan Luck and Don Clark's riffs are also note worthy. Demon Hunter's guitar crew names Machine Head and Prong as early influences on there sound and it shows. Demon Hunter even paid tribute to Prong by covering there classic track "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" for there 2005 release The Triptych, which I thought was a very daring and bold move.
Demon Hunter's latest effort Storm the Gates of
Hell is, like I said before, their definitive album and simply brutal
within every context of that word. The quality of the vocal tracks has
grown even more than the band's previous efforts. The riffs are heavier
and faster than anything their fans have heard before, simply brutal! Storm the Gates of Hell was produced once again by Aaron Sprinkle,
who has helmed the board for all of Demon Hunter's previous works. The
album was also mixed by Machine, who has mixed records for several other
current heavy hitter acts, including Lamb of God. Storm the Gates
of Hell gets going with a strong start with the title track. With
Yogi's blast beats and the band's crushing riffs and squealing guitar
effects the song could be similar to any track on Machine Head's The
Blackening. The band doesn't let up with their barrage of sound with
the next track "Lead Us Home", which also gives the listener
their first chance to hear what Ryan Clark's clean vocals can do. Next
on the CD is my favorite track "Sixteen", which encompasses
everything that fellow Demon Hunter fans have grown to love about the
band. If you have never heard of Demon Hunter, Storm the Gates of
Hell should be your starting point! Take note. The CD comes in 3
different formats - "Standard", "Special Edition"
with 2 bonus tracks"No Reason To Exist" and "Grand Finale"
and the making of the album DVD, and finally the "Deluxe Edition"
with extended DVD footage apart from the special edition. Exclusive limited
packaging including large format booklet with exclusive studio photos,
lyrics, liner notes, exclusive postcard set, necklace with pendant &
sticker.