August 6, 2005: Michel's Metal Crypt Interview by: Ujval Singh Sidhu-Bar Ottawa-Metal.com Review by: Annick Giroux DEMONTAGE – Sacrilege ‘n’ Miscreancy (2006) I find it extremely rare to be waiting for an album these days, because the market is so saturated with new releases… however; I’ve been waiting for this for more then a year. I already had a gut feeling it was going to be a great release when I heard a few samples… And you know what? This album is one of the best to come out of 2006. To those who haven’t heard these Toronto bastards before, you can clearly hear that their influences are BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, VENOM, CELTIC FROST, MASTERS HAMMER but they mix it all in a big cauldron and forged their very own different sound. The production is perfect, the 6 tracks are long/epic heavy metal hymns with bone chilling riffs, drunken vocals, killer bass and absolutely insane drums. More then two years of work were put in these songs, and it fucking shows. They are all constructed around solid riffs and great lyrics, which radiates incredible atmosphere… I think my fav track has to be “Desastrophies of War”. It has a very doomy part, where the drummer finishes the vocalist’s sentences with his own vocals… then starts singing himself… ahhh, it just blows me away!!!!!! Another song that really rules is “Carrion Race”, which is trashier, but has one hell of a build-up… ARGHHH!! And finally, my third fav song is “Demontage”, an extremely long and doomy tune. I remember hearing this one live for the first time … I couldn’t believe my ears… it was simply mind-blowing. “We areeee…. Deeeemontaaage….” What a great improvement this is, since the demo!!! Anyway, this band seriously deserves your attention. If you’re thirsty for something different that will kick your ass, log on to unsungheroesrecords.cjb.net and buy the low-priced pro CD-R. (Yes, that sucks, but it’s cheaper and the quality is there. Isn’t about the music anyway?) Franang E-zine DEMONTAGE (Can) "Sacrilege'n'Miscreancy" CD'06. 6 tracks, 46 min. Unsung Heroes. The flyer advised about "old fashioned Metal the way the Devil in you like it!". Thence as this band was coming from Canada I was expecting a kind of furious Heavy Metal hymns such influenced by the legends from over there like Exciter, Piledriver, Razor or this kind of 80's genre. Actually we're very very far from what the 80's bands could offer you back in time as Demontage comes with a very personal approach and way of labeling old fashioned their materials. Demontage sounds like a kind of mix between Pagan Altar for some kind of Dark/Doom ideas they carry in tunes such as "Desastrophies Of War" and new Thrash combos such as Delirium Tremens or Devil Lee Rot's CDs. The compositions are pretty long, more than 7 minutes that's way too long as the band can't stand the listener enough with their astray song structures. Indeed, the weak point here is that the band can't come with crushing ideas or riffs, you know that kind of riff you say "fuck they blow me away". I'd even say that some interludes sound strange such as in the end of the second tune. Furthermore, the singer needs to get more balls of the wall in his screams. I'd be curious to listen to a new Demontage material with a much better production and some improvement in the composition department Metal Nightmare Fanzine March 19, 2007 From the name, I was expecting some sort of black metal or black/death mix. I was right about the "black" part, but was still way off. Canada 's DEMONTAGE are a blackened heavy metal band, with a sound that kind of reminds me of COUNTESS' Hell's Rock and Roll mini-CD. The same feeling is there, although the vocals sound nothing like those of Orlok. The production is a little murky, but this kind of music doesn't lend itself to a DEF LEPPARD style of production. The heavy bottom end works well, but I'd kind of like to hear an even dirtier version of DEMONTAGE's music. Even so, the band can stand proudly alongside the likes of SKULLVIEW, METAL INQUISITOR and WIZZARD. Vorfeed Artist: Demontage Album Title: Sacrilege & Miscreancy Label: Unsung Heroes This is the first full-length album from Demontage, a Canadian band playing heavy/black metal. The sound on this record is dominated by the drums, bass, and guitar, with the vocals a bit low in the mix. This gives it a somewhat live sound, which fits the music very well. Occasional movie samples lend the proceedings extra atmosphere. The songwriting here is an improvement over the Madness Disease demo, and that's saying something. Every song has about a million different things going on, just jam-packed with crazy drumming and solos, memorable vocal work, and complex bass lines. Songs like "Desastrophies of War" go from speedy chugging to slow, doomy passages and back in less than two minutes, all without a single misstep. The interplay between vocalists on that song is also remarkable. "Mutation Meltdown" also displays some great tempo changes and drum work, and the weird vocals and melody give it a creepy feel. Good use of bass lines as well! One of this band's best songs, "Carrion Race", has been re-recorded from the demo, and sounds even better here. And what heavy metal band would be complete without a song named after the band? "Demontage" is a ten-minute wander of a song, with echoing vocals and several instrumental passages, including showcase pieces for each individual instrument. The whole thing builds up to a solo-packed jam before ending with the sound of thunder. arrrrgh, these guys must be killer live! This is a great album from a band that really ought to be getting more attention. If you like dark heavy metal, you really have no excuse not to get this, especially if a mix between something like Cirith Ungol or Brocas Helm and early black metal sounds good to you. Highly recommended. Standout Tracks: "Desastrophies of War", "Carrion Race", "Demontage" Morbid Tales issue #3, Fall 2005 Review by: Annick Giroux, Ottawa/Hull DEMONTAGE - Madness Disease Another demo from a Toronto band, this time, longer established than Maniac. I have heard these tracks as mp3's about a year ago, thanks to my buddy Dwayne -- who sent me the link to their website. Anyway, the album contains 6 songs.. The intro is doomy, slow and then it jumps into Retroexorcism. They did a very good job of incorporating the two songs together. Retroexorcism is very Hellhammerish, but even slower! The guitar work is awesome... I love the "thrills" he does throughout the song. Carrion Race is a bit faster, and the vocals are even more twisted!! DIIIE!!! But fuck.. the next song, Drinkin' Weiss, is the best. It's very different from the style of the rest of their songs.. totally rock'n'roll with high raunchy vocals. The production is very thin, but even with that, that song fucking rocks! It made my head bang up and down, without even realizing it. The next two songs are slower, doomier and just as well written. The middle of Hardbitten Allegory of Reciprocated Misery (!!?) is really fucking cool though, it gets into this fast simple riff... I would love to see these guys live. Demontage definitely have their own sound -- you could recognize it from miles away. They pay respect to their influences, and bring a new freshness to the mix! The only thing I am not too fond of this, is the album cover. Sorry guys but I really don't dig it. Is it a gothic clown or something? It doesn't represent the music at all! The logo is nice though, so it balances out. Hehe. Reign in Pain Review by: Reign in Pain 06, 5/10 Hailing from Toronto, Canada, DEMONTAGE is a young trio founded in 2001 by some members of GAURHOTH (a Tolkien black metal oriented act now disbanded). In 2004, the band recorded its first demo and called it "Madness disease". The trio plays old school oriented black metal paying tribute to bands such as HELLHAMMER, VENOM, MERCYFUL FATE, BATHORY and early DARKTHRONE. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, the band proposes well balanced songs. I'd like to point out the great catchy and rock 'n roll feelings (that often reminds me of HELLHAMMER) of this 6 tracks demo. Just download the "Retroexorcism" mp3 on the band's audiostreet.net page. The band also released a live demo in 2004, I should check it out. Support ! Encyclopedia Metallum Review by: vorfeed 80% June 7, 2004 Artist: Demontage Album Title: Madness Disease Label: Self-released This is the first demo from Demontage, a Canadian band that plays dirty black-n-roll. The best feature of this demo is the guitar. "Madness Disease" is chock-full of great riffs and solos, so much so that it's almost surprising to see that the entire demo was recorded with only one guitar. The guitarist does a great job of handling a variety of styles, effortlessly switching between rhythm and lead parts. The guitar sound is reminiscent of Black Sabbath, with a buzzing, slightly sludgy tone. The drums and bass aren't nearly as notable as the guitar, but they're crisp and on-tempo, so I've got no complaints. The vocals here might scare off some potential listeners, though. They're highly unpolished, straightforward shouting, and at first I found them rather hard to accept. However, as "Carrion Race" shows, they've got a wide range of expression, and are actually pretty catchy. After extended listening, I ended up liking the vocals a lot, but the band's decision to seek a new vocalist is probably a wise one. Demontage's songwriting is rock solid, with an emphasis on "rock". The chunky riffs and memorable solos and vocal lines make even nine and ten minute songs easy to digest. The transitions here are very smooth, even when the band throws in some more difficult passages on the epic closing song, "Human Altruistic Relinquishment Machine". Nothing here sounds overly awkward, to my ears. There are, of course, some negative aspects to this album. The mix here is rather flat and uninspired, especially when it comes to the bass, which seems a bit muddier than it ought to be. That said, this is a relatively minor problem, especially for a demo, and should be easy to fix on the next album. It's more than understandable that this album contains a paean to the Metal gods of alcohol and marijuana in "Drinkin' Weiss" - given the complexity and catchiness of this album, it's sure to make for a great listen while under the influence. Then again, it's equally good without... but either way, this demo is definitely worth getting. I'll look forward to hearing a full-length release from this band, but until then, this demo is recommended. Standout Tracks: "Retroexorcism", "Carrion Race", "Human Altruistic Relinquishment Machine". Encyclopedia Metallum Review by: Vic 85% April 20, 2004 Another diamond in the rough from the Canadian underground. Demontage is a three-piece from Toronto and this is their first demo, recorded rough, quick, and very live (well, the instruments were - the vocals were overdubbed after doing the music). In a nutshell, I dig this stuff a lot. Slower tempos and a dense sound of Black Sabbath mix with some more frantic riffing like Morbid-Tales-era Celtic Frost, and just a touch of the weird melodicism that norse-style black metal brought to the table, capped off with some 'just don't give a fuck how it sounds, I'm gonna scream and shout it out' vocals that'll be the make-or-break point with this band's listeners. (I'm on the 'make' side of the line, myself, but more on that in a second...) A short intro leads into an almost 40-minute album, and with only five full songs you know you're in for either long jams or some ambitious songwriting. Demontage manages to come down on the songwriting side, as longer riff cycles are repeated with subtle variations - an intro riff set will mutate as it becomes the verse, then another mutation will lead out the verse into the next part. Occasional restatement of themes through the song cycles give these songs a unified sound and keep them from sounding aimless or random. "Retroexorcism" and "Hardbitten Allegory of Reciprocated Misery" show this most notably. Another noteworthy element is the guitar style of frontman Spatilomantis. As I stated before, this is a VERY live recording - literally one guitar, bass, and drums with no overdubbed tracks. Using just those instruments working to fill all the sonic space without multitracking can be quite a task, but fortunately Spat.. has a style that adapts well - chordal riffs flow right into single-note melody parts, droning sections, and even small lead guitar fills, showing the freedom one guitar can have when not having to compete with another guitar. I think the bass is a bit under-represented, but that may be more because of the recording quality than the style he's playing. Production quality is ultra-stripped down - the drums are very well represented, unique among demo-style recording with live drummers in this day and age, but the guitars and bass are very bass-heavy, muted, and lacking in the high-end. The vocals are clearly overdubbed after the music was recorded, and a touch overmixed - and they stand out even farther because of the complete lack of reverb or other effects. In a weird way, it's not that far off the way Dead's vocals sound on "Live in Leipzig" - stark, raw, and right up front. Overall, this is really good stuff. Clearly a first effort, but one that's been 'cooked' for quite some time, as all the right elements (vision, songwriting, playing ability) are at their peak and any downsides (too-dry recording quality, stripped-down production) can be easily corrected on the next go-round. Recommended, and definitely keep an eye out for the next release, which will be building from a very strong foundation. Encyclopedia Metallum Review by: haikuholocaust 65% April 20, 2004 Demontage has nowhere to go but up after their first release, Madness Disease. They are still gelling as a band, and members are continually improving at their crafts. I'd expect to hear much better drumming and basswork on future recordings, not that they're bad on this one, just a bit dull for the most part. The guitarwork, on the other hand, is pretty great. Spatilomantis whips out some really cool horror metal-type riffing and demonstrates some pretty interesting solos. On first listen, this demo bored me quite a bit, but on subsequent listens, you notice subtleties and riff changes and whatnot that really keep you drawn into the music. They could benefit from more time changes, something I expect will come with more experience. This album basically just rocks the whole way through, blending elements of black/thrash bands like Sabbat and Abigail with Black Sabbath and even some early Entombed. The band is searching for a vocalist, but much like Vic, I like Spatilomantis' vocals. They're raw and insane, like a drunken hobo stumbling around a church basement looking for communion wine. I look for Demontage to get better and better as time goes on, assuming they keep putting out releases. Encyclopedia Metallum Review by: khiijol 83% April 20, 2004 This first outing from Demontage does not disappoint at all. I had first heard the band when drummer Abominatrix sent me a very early version of "Retroexorcism" several years ago, and thought it was great then. The version that appears on this demo is even better, due to the full band presence. Musically the band plays in a rather unique black/doom style... somewhere between Morbid Tales-era Frost and early Bethlehem, but they are certainly not a carbon copy of either band, as they have a fairly unique approach to the songwriting. Elements of stoner doom even pop up in the excellent "Drinkin' Weiss" (possibly the best song on the demo after "Retroexorcism", even though we all know that only Imperial Stouts are real!!!). This demo isn't perfect, but most of the imperfections are trivial matters... the vocals can be a little stronger in places, the guitar work and drumming can be a little tighter in places, but the songwriting is very solid. Theres only a couple places on the album where transitions seem a bit awkward, but those are few and far between. But for a first demo, especially one that is as good as this, that can easily be forgiven, and hopefully the band's next recording will be even better. Chronicles of Chaos Review by: Aaron McKay 2/5 April 19, 2004 Upon initial spins, this three piece from Toronto Canada spawned visions of the Chicago outfit Cianide and their bottom heavy offering _The Dying Truth_. Quickly, this pans out to be an unfair parallel to draw. Demontage's offers a mix of self-professed "black heavy metal" exploring the highly abused themes of "satanic rites, beer and the undead, and most importantly humanity's bleak and abysmal future" -- all this done through the band's admittedly "sarcastic and callous" manner all throughout the demo. Comprised of Spatilomantis (guitar and vocals), Abominatrix (drums) and Temüjin (bass), Demontage has real stoner metal feel to their '80s throwback style on this eclectic nearly forty minute demo. Wisely, these Canadians are searching for a full-time growler to carry the torch vocally and allow Spatilomantis to turn his full attention to guitar duties. While the protracted guitar passage on the last track of the demo, "Human Altruistic Relinquishment Machine" (where do these song titles come from?!) is an attention-getting outro of sorts, the vocals on this effort scream for some real refinement or outside expertise. As one might expect, the production is fairly harsh ("Retroexorcism" was written and recorded with the aid of a personal computer) and the cover art is more-or-less sophomoric in concept. A key to Demontage's achievement may reside in the ability to secure a skilled vocalist to communicate a more inspired set of lyrical content.