Wanorde en Weerzin

Mathjis Ignoul has outdone himself. On "Wanorde En Weerzin", Carnyx's first label release, he has single-handedly commanded his instruments and steered them into an execution of brutality that works perfectly, but still has room for improvement (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

The demo consists of six tracks, including two covers (Slayer's Tormentor and Ultima Thule's Förkastad och Förnekad). The intro track is reminiscient of modern ambient folk, with a solo that brings to mind guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel with it's own dark touch.

The first track "Fire Rains Down From The Sky" evokes memories of Bathory-era thrash metal, with a contemporary death metal production quality. Mathjis' vocals sound like a tormented wraith, and his skills on the guitar show that he is clearly passionate about the style of music he has chosen to perform.

The whole demo is well recorded to the point where you can almost visualise his fingers hitting the strings. That being said, the only thing I find detracts from the recording is the drums. The drum machine is well programmed and it accents the guitar in just the right places, but the lack of dynamics make the tracks sound a little bit flat. I would personally love to see a live drummer get behind the kit and beat some of these rhythms out, as I think it will greatly improve the human elements behind Carnyx.

For someone who self-admittedly doesn't have a lot of time on his hands due to his studies, Mathjis has put a tremendous amount of effort into the songwriting. His cover of Tormentor is surprising, because it takes away the "old school" feel of the original and replaces it with youthful ferocity. His vocals really fit the lyrics. If I were to meet him in "the streets in the coldness all alone", I would be petrified. His falsetto scream at the end finishes the demo powerfully. For a death metal vocalist, he is not found wanting at all. It's a pity that the vocals are a little bit background to the drums and guitar, because they really take the cake.

Carnyx will definitely go somewhere, no matter how long it takes. There is a truly original spark here that can go far, if taken far. I highly recommend this demo, and it is worthy of quite a few replays.

8.5/10