Demo 2019

What an intriguing looking slab of tar! Voimation are very new to the doom/death scene, having dropped this three-song demo last year simply titled Demo 2019 as their first release. It's very bare-bones without much meat. Droning and buzzing riffs that resonate far more with doomheads than anything are the strongest structural support. There aren't many moments that stray away from this, save for the speed-loaded patterns in the center track "Erudition." But the closer song "Apotheia" makes up for that by being an even longer, painfully drawn-out number that's focused on instrumental noise. The last couple minutes especially lay on wails and squeals from the higher strings, acting as a feedback-like effect.

That's all well and good, but I can't say any of this stood out in the slightest. Fortunately for these purposes, the first song "Primal" makes up 1/3 of the run-time, saving it from being a snoozefest. Something about the layout on this one really reels you in. The slower doom chugs backed by heftier and more consistent drum kicks pack plenty of tastiness. The vocals are also a strong feature, pressed to the perfect depth in the mix, giving some real potential here. And that's to be expected, because a demo of this nature isn't exactly representative of a band's best work, especially if it's their first. As a release, there's nothing special. But if the vocals and the energy of the first track project onto a future full-length, then we've got ourselves an album!