19th April 2026

Review: “Despondence” by Our Demise

Back in October as they were preparing to open for The Ghost Inside and Bleed From Within at Magnet House in their home city of Perth, Western Australia, Deathcore heavy hitters Our Demise watched in disbelief as the first single “Vile Embrace” from EP “Despondence” surpassed 200k of Spotify streams alone. Six months on 2024 single “Vultures” has surpassed 405k. It’s hard to believe that the five piece only started the project in 2022 but vocalist Cody Bennett, who is joined by a rhythm section of drummer Sage Phillips and bassist Neo Phillips with guitarists Ben Mantegna and Zac Smith handling the riffs have already shared stages with anyone who would dare enter their territory. In DIY or DIE style, the band trusted Mantegna to produce, mix and master the follow up to 2023 EP “Insidious“.

Floating in the ethereal darkness “Vile Embrace” has all the spine juddering, glitch tinged riffage that you would expect from the current crop of bands floating between Deathcore and Nu-Metalcore like Alpha Wolf and Brand Of Sacrifice. The difference is the flavour that Our Demise bring to the table, that bit of old school know how squeezed out of influences from Aversions Crown and Thy Art Is Murder, all of which make the opening track of this short, sharp collection crush with the weight of a thousand souls. Down turned guitars keep the angry anthem flowing with a rolling tank like vibe, the mid tempo power having hints at two step moments as much mosh pit violence incitement, all the while Bennett demonstrating his abilities as a seriously versatile vocalist.

The swirling melodies of the opening strains of “Stained” are a melancholic sirens call as the war drums pound, the five piece breaking into blast beats and scalding vocals in a vicious burst of violence before dropping back to the dark grooves once more in deadly fashion. Bennett reaches into the void and pulls from his soul some Slam inspired vocal parts that astound, the bittersweet symphony of haunting mid-tempo riffs a sinister warning. You know the breakdown is coming, you can feel it in your guts but on the first few spins you’re not prepared for the bomb blast until its too late. It’s devastating and the downtempo passage that follows is the kind of nightmarish vision that even Stephen King would be afraid of.

You might not expect a clenched fist of a tune with Hardcore style lyrical narrative after the that previous soul burn but in “I Remain“, Our Demise have created a different kind of anthem. It’s just as haunting, ferocious and depraved, especially during the staccato riff breaks and minor leads but there is that air of defiance against all odds running through this one that makes it stand strong. The musicianship running through the veins of this record is impeccable, the weight and gravity of the lyrical tirades not lost in the ebb and flow of their dark waters and it has to be said that this is the kind of statement piece that really should take the band to a major label deal [8/10]

Track Listing