14 Sovereign

This is a truly excellent piece of work.

First off, for those interested, Vpaahsalbrox is a combination of two Enochian words that roughly translate to 'Lucifer's Wings'. That should give you an idea of where the band will be coming from.

The first song starts off with a very discordant 'melody' that sets the ground for the rest of the demo. The music very chaotic, with timings that are completely unconventional and original, paying tribute to the One who inspired it. The drums are almost mechanical, being very well executed and keeping excellent time in light of the off-tempo progressions and time signature shifts. Although extremely atonal, there is a hint of melody within the harsh production and hateful worship that portrays a very melancholic feel: quite fitting, given the lyrics - which are the words of Lucifer, the fallen but still triumphant, speaking to the people of his glories.

The second is not quite as chaotic, but still features very unorthodox rhythms that can be somewhat hard to follow, and, upon first listen, seem almost random. But there is a strict discipline behind it. Some very haunting melodies pour forth on this track, which, at first, travels at a much slower pace than the one preceding it. At the end, however, it picks up the pace, the pulsating drums following the beautifully crafted guitar melodies and almost lamenting vocals, which tell of the blessings of Lucifer upon his followers. Excellent note for the track to end on.

The final track is the most harsh of the three. It begins with a rather 'old school' feel on the guitars, but naturally falls back into the random chaos that births the onslaught of guitar work on this demo. Here, lyrically, are praises to the glory of the Proud Angel, which go hand-in-hand with the atmosphere to portray a very violent devotion to Him. The ending of this track slows pace substantially, and the distorted guitars are layered over with clean guitars, which make for a very entrancing affect.

Personally, one of the things that catches my attention about any band is first the vocals, then the guitars. The vocals make or break any act, in my opinion. And the vocals in this band are noteworthy - extremely tortured, extremely high-pitched; one gets the impression of a possessed man crying out for the pain inflicted by his possessor. The music as well is extremely talented, not to mention creative and - most importantly - inspired. Lyrically, this is very orthodox stuff, and is far from being hollow praises to Satan. Hopefully, the listener will realise the sincerity, as the music backs very well the lyrical content.

Highly recommended, if that means anything to any of you.