When Violence Is Your Guide

Dæmon Lost are a symphonic power metal band based in Argentina. When Violence Is Your Guide is the band's first full-length, and it's an impressive release. If the band can deliver to this standard consistently, they could well become one of the best symphonic bands that I've listened to.

One of the key reasons that this band appeals to me so much is that they actually allow the guitarist to do something with his skills. A lot of bands that play symphonic metal are content to let the guitarists have minimal input and they end up playing a simple sequence of chugs that serve as nothing more than the foundations of the band. Dæmon Lost bring the power metal influence into the riffing patterns, and there seems to be some kind of solo or ear-catching melody in every song at the very least.

The keyboard is used well too, and it blends well with the guitar. On some of the tracks at the beginning of the record they sound like they'll contrast too harshly, but this becomes less of a problem as the record goes on. The keyboard does different things to the music, from leading the occasional song (mostly the ones devoid of the guitar) to providing an almost Middle Eastern feel to 'Beyond Torture'.

The aforementioned 'Beyond Torture' is the crowning jewel of When Violence Is Your Guide, and the Middle Eastern effects work surprisingly well. The guitar is more powerful here than anywhere else on the album, as if it's trying to make up for the lack of hooks being provided as the keyboard takes over. Along with the superb cleans that are used throughout the rest of the album, there are some growls inserted here that work quite well with everything else. The whole album is outstanding, but this song really showcases how well the band can craft a song.

I usually praise the vocalist of any symphonic metal band highly, but Ludmila Disa is a special talent. She sings in soprano in a typically serene way, but there's something more endearing about her voice than so many other vocalists. Her voice is less powerful and occasionally threatens to be drowned out by the guitars, but that's precisely why it works. It's a difficult thing to describe, but she is a very good singer and her voice works incredibly well with the rest of the band to emphasize the entire package's strengths.

Dæmon Lost are an excellent outfit with a bright future, and I'd urge you to check out their debut album. It's got everything that you could want from a symphonic metal album and more, and there isn't so much as a single weak track here. Very impressive.