Demon Hunter

Did we really need another Demon Hunter live album so closely following on the heels of 45 Days’ stellar mixture of rockumentary and untouched live show footage? That’s a tough question to answer, making this a tough sell for any potential buyer. The audio from Live in Nashville is taken directly from the DVD footage, which begs the follow up question: why wasn’t this packed with 45 Days instead of sold months later?

This band’s live show isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely a must for metal-heads. A diverse mixture of trash riffs, stadium-friendly fist pumpers, and blindingly chaotic hardcore pieces, Demon Hunter’s repetoire is eclectic enough to warrant multiple listens, but cohesive and anything but schizophrenic.

“Storm the Gates of Hell” and “I Am You” are perfect for mindless headbanging: the riffs seem endless and the drum lines are nothing short of dizzying. It would’ve been nice to see these heavier tracks standing alongside earlier material. The band’s self-titled debut was breezy and intense, with little to no obvious melody (the only serious exception being “My Throat is an Open Grave”—one of my absolute favorite metal tracks, ever), and it’s a shame that DH aren’t trying to integrate the fandoms of both their less accessible material and those of their rock radio-ready work.

“Carry Me Down” and “My Heartstrings Come Undone” are the ballads of the album, and the energy translates well in a live setting. I’ve said it before: Demon Hunter pen some of the best hard rock ballads I’ve ever heard. Listen to them live, or listen to their studio forebears—it makes no difference. The emotion, the darkly romantic lyricism, and the restrained musicianship make the listener feel safe, as if the band could entirely crush our ears with their intensity should they so choose. And yet they don’t. The resulting aesthetic is satisfying.

“Undying” and “Follow the Wolves” are great examples of the band’s latest attempts to mine the metalcore scene for gems of great musical thought. Melodies dodge explosive bits of harsh hardcore, making pop hooks out of carnage and caprice. The bridge to “Wolves” is particularly notable, if only because of its chord progression.

All this is well and good; Demon Hunter are certainly a talented group of musicians. But these tracks have been offered up in one form or another through either 45 Days or the band’s later studio material. For hardcore fans who feel the need to have a portable soundtrack to the Nashville performance, I’m sure I don’t have to recommend they pick this up. For anyone else, however, (which is the majority) I’d urge you to look into chipping over the cash for the 3-combo released last November. The music itself is great, but Live in Nashville is neither a definitive presentation nor a discounted purchase. With the economy in a lurch, I’d save my cash for a number of great hardcore albums due this year. Demon Hunter rock, but repackaging the same product more than once isn’t exactly the most successful way to build a fanbase.

Tagged as: Demon Hunter, Live in Nashville

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