Review: “Demo MMXXIII” by Death Magick

One of a run of demos which are being released by Dutch label Dawnbreed Records in the coming months, “Demo MMXXIII” (or “Demo 2023” for those unfamiliar with Roman Numerals) looks very much like it marks the first release from the mysterious Death Magick. One thing we do know is that they appear to hail from Israel and have their roots firmly in the soil of the kind of bands that gave Metal a reputation for being the work of Satan back in the early 1980’s. Occult themes, leather jackets and… you get the picture.

Despite being described as a demo, there is nothing here to indicate that this was recorded in a cave on a potato or on a single microphone in a dark, damp basement torture chamber hell. Instead “Demo MMXXIII” sounds like a studio quality EP of 80’s style Traditional Heavy Metal with Occult leaning lyrics and studio polish. The saga begins with the classic riff composition that is “End Of Time“, a cut that feels like the bastard child of Motorhead and Deep Purple. Clean vocals at the gruffer side are added to by a spoken word while the solo is a throwback to 1982 and a complete rose tinted spectacle nostalgia trip. “Violence is King” feels like a live recording with some strange swirling background sounds but lacks the volatility. A mid tempo affair and an ode to violence, this one feels like it was written for the soundtrack of an exploitation movie where some kid from a broken home in the backwoods grows up to become a serial killer on the run. A couple of ethnic sounding riffs help bring “Carve the Symbol on My Flesh” to life, the pounding drums and vocal warbling giving it an Old School feel that doesn’t look back. The dark atmosphere and lyrics that border on Satanic ritual are wonderfully in keeping with the rest of the bands work, the only question is does it go far enough to stand out from the wolf pack baying for blood? [7/10]

Track listing

1. End of Time
2. Violence is King
3. Carve the Symbol on My Flesh

“Demo MMXXIII” by Death Magick is out 10th November 2023 via Dawnbreed Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.