Poland's Demise released their third CD Torture Garden back in 2005, now being reissued by Metal Mind Productions, and it's a solid if unspectacular representation of modern day melodic death metal in the style of early In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, or At the Gates. There's a lot to like here, plenty of tasty guitar riffs & solos, frantic rhythms, and expressive growls & shouts from the vocal department. Production is more than capable, and the band's songwriting prowess commendable, so what's the problem? Well, there's not so much a problem with these 13 songs as there is with the fact that it just seems like we've heard this all before. Granted, Demise has since 'demised', so they are not even together to improve on things here, but many bands have come around in their wake and put together material that's at least this good, even better, so it's hard to look at this release, now 3 + years later, and really get too excited about it. Sure, it's strong stuff for the most part, riffs-a-plenty flying around the mix and lots of headbanging moments, but I'm left with a feeling of deja-vu for most of these songs, pretty much enjoying the ride but thinking I've been along for the journey somewhere before. End result is, file under "worth checking into, but not essential".
Track Listing
1) Torture Garden
2) Oath of Chaos
3) Revelation
4) Termination of Souls
5) Unjust
6) Ravaged
7) Evil Deed
8) Grieve No Longer
9) Abandoned
10) Remains of Yesterday
11) Deadly Embrace
12) Ecstasy and Rapture
13) Never Ending Pain
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