Demon Hunter - Summer of Darkness

Fuck yes. That's pretty much all you have to say about Demon Hunter. I could listen to just two songs and describe the entire Summer of Darkness album to you. Hard, thick guitars, double bass drum, intense propensity for devil signs and slow motion head bobbing, gutteral screams, and a surprisingly pleasant harmonized chorus. That's it. That's the formula for the most part. But that is, by no means, a negative comment about this album. While each song has just about the same elements and same setup, they keep it fresh enough to keep you engaged. By the time you reach "Beheaded," you think you've got it all figured out and they throw in the creepy squelched second vocal. "My Heartstrings Come Undone" starts off with a bit of drum machine, space guitar stylings, and a vocal line that's certainly far from abrasive. Demon Hunter strikes me as the sort of band that you would listen to in high school when you were fearless about what your peers thought about your love of growling, intense, metal-esque rock mixed with the harmonic choruses and an understanding of melody underlying throughout. Okay, maybe in high school you never thought of it that way, but Summer of Darkness is a great disc for those who have metal or hardcore tendencies yet still appreciate the actual craft of writing a song with some diversity. [www.demonhunter.net]