Following the track record of what the city typically dishes out in terms of metal bands, anything other than melodic death metal that finds its way coming out of Gothenburg, Sweden is something that is already peculiar in a way but not to be unexpected given the talent and throngs of metal musicians that find themselves within its city limits. The presence of black metal is not something that can be considered out of the ordinary for the likes of Gothenburg, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t acts still coming from those streets that aren’t able to bring anything interesting to the table as they seek to find their own footholds. For its debut album, Demolyn sought to prove such that with the effort certainly earning the name a place in the lexicon of acts on those streets worth keeping an eye on.

Whenever we come upon a debut album of this kind, it’s always important to remember that a blank slate is oftentimes just as appealing as knowing precisely what you’re getting yourself into. A one-man black metal act out of Gothenburg has a lot of potential behind it with virtually anything possible for such an act, and it’s in plenty of ways that Demolyn sought to prove that concept with the eight tracks of “Tales of Demolyn” achieving both the expected and the unexpected. Straightforward black metal with a solid dosage of melody that brings more than one facet of intrigue to these eight tales of fantastical backdrops and immense battles, Demolyn manages to bring forth a sound that manages to keep itself very close to what many tend to associate black metal as a whole with while still never once taking each opportunity to inject its own spirit and personality into the mix that immediately sets the whole of “Tales of Demolyn” apart from many others while itself still having loads of room for improvement as it’s clear that this is but the first step for Demolyn. Apart from already knowing this is the act’s debut effort, there are small missteps that stand in the way from making this album something to really lose yourself in should it come in the form of brief clunkiness as the song transitions from one part to the next or certain pieces just don’t feel like they fit smoothly together. Regardless of that, though, there’s no way for me to look at all that is brought forth in “Tales of Demolyn” and feel like the mastermind behind it should find himself disappointed. A work that accomplishes much in the name of real passion and a sharp vision of how to bring forth his style to the world of black metal, Demolyn has crafted nothing that should be considered a disappointment.

The beginnings of a band are almost always the most exciting in my experience. There is no way for us to expect what will come next, what will stay, or what will go. The future is always for the taking of whatever band seeks to move forward and take it for their own with a sound that is uncompromisingly their own with their vision all but unsullied, and that’s precisely what I see Demolyn doing as it moves on from this worthwhile debut. There’s more than enough to find yourself pleased with as you venture through the eight tracks that “Tales of Demolyn” present to us like rich lore in a dense mythopoeia that only leads to further wonders, sights, conflicts, and excitement further down the road.

LISTEN to “Tales of Demolyn” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Demolyn on Facebook here.