Ladies and Gentlemen, the death metal titans known as Job For A Cowboy have finally released their third studio album entitled “Demonocracy”. Their last full length album, “Ruination”, was released in 2009 which makes “Demonocracy” a little bit past due. Being a huge Job For A Cowboy fan since their “Doom” E.P., I have seen the band mature and progress throughout the years. With their initial deathcore motives and style on “Doom”, the band had virtually scrapped their deathcore sound two years later to full on death metal with their first full length, “Genesis”. Though I was not a fan of “Genesis”, I knew that Job For A Cowboy was trying to see how they could push themselves in a new direction. With the release of other various E.P.’s and albums, the bar had been set very high for “Demonocracy”. To be incredibly honest, I didn’t think that Job For A Cowboy could get any better. After the initial listening of “Demonocracy”, I had immediately concluded that it was without a doubt the best Job For A Cowboy album to date.
Job For A Cowboy have had a reputation for incorporating politics into their lyrics. The case is still relevant in “Demonocracy”. The actual term, “demonocracy”, defined is “the power or government of demons”. Though Job For A Cowboy had turned from deathcore to death metal, they still encompass some of their deathcore roots in “Demonocracy”. The most dominant of the deathcore essence is Jonny Davy’s vocals. The layering and overtones can be related all the way back to “Doom”. It is not enough for death metal enthusiasts to back off from enjoying the album or hinder their overall listening experience.
The first track, entitled “Children of Deceit”, is a straight in your face, no bullsh*t introduction song. It is not one of those minute long heavily computer edited cheesy intro tunes that most bands overuse, but rather a cacophony of heavy riffs, blasting drums, and piercing vocals. The initial punch it delivers to the listener is enough to have them sit and listen through the rest of the eight tunes.
Job For A Cowboy had incorporated a guitar solo in every one of their songs. Every solo was incredibly technical which complimented each song respectively. Not only were the solos technical, but the guitar riffs in each tune had a vast amount technicality. It truly is a step up from their previous releases. “Demonocracy” can officially be described as Job For A Cowboy’s heaviest album to date. Again, there are breakdowns that are clearly present that represent the band’s deathcore roots. The difference with these breakdowns is that they are done in a death metal fashion. I felt that the album did a great job capturing Job For A Cowboy’s aggressive side, but I was really hoping that they would have put out an instrumental song on “Demonocracy”. It could have showcased a more melodic side to their craft as well as proving that they can create a song that gets the signature Job For A Cowboy sound and feel without Davy’s vocals. “Demonocracy” had a few opportunities for the band to experiment with some different effects and styles, specifically in the song “Imperium Wolves”.
The album had started off very aggressive and in your face, yet ends completely different. The final tune, “Tarnished Gluttony”, sounded as if it was a very melodic dirge. It was a spectacular way to end the album and ended up being one of my favorite songs off of “Demonocracy”. A change of pace from the previous pugnacious tunes cleansed the palate of the listener, so to speak. All of the songs were well done, but there were a few that had gotten my attention more than others. Songs like “Nourishment Through Bloodshed”, “The Deity Misconception”, “Fearmonger”, and “Tarnished Gluttony” were the highlights of the album.
Overall, if you are a Job For A Cowboy fan then you will enjoy every moment of “Demonocracy”. The bar has been set even higher for the Metal Blade veterans with their latest production. If you are a fan of The Black Dahlia Murder, The Red Chord, and/or Cattle Decapitation then Job For A Cowboy is worth your time looking into. “Demonocracy” scored a very respectable 9/10. Jason Suecof did a phenomenal job producing the album, and was able to accurately portray Job For A Cowboy’s message through the production. You may now stop reading this review to go purchase this death metal masterpiece at your nearest record store.
“Demonocracy” was released on April 10, 2012 through Metal Blade Records.
