Artist: Caustic Phlegm
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Self-released
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2025
With a great demo and a successful full-length album on Hells Headbangers Records, released earlier this year, it is fair to say that one-man army Caustic Phlegm is onto something good. Despite the band’s take on the horror-drenched Death Metal genre is rather one-dimensional and offers little news for its followers, it is clear that Evangelos Vasilakos knows his craft. After the release of ‘Purulent Apocalypse’, he now offers a new 5-track demo, simply called ‘Demo 2025’.
Whether this means that Vasilakos is already looking forward and is looking for other label options, or that is simply just testing new ideas, remains to be seen. But, for us, mere mortals, it is another way to enjoy some more of his gory and down-tempo Death Metal. Yet, the difference between ‘Purulent Apocalypse’ and ‘Demo 2025’ are evident. Not only is the overall sound quality on the album a tad better and heavier, ‘Demo 2025’ is a bit more on the slow side and therefore exudes a more eerie atmosphere. Although both bands are not exactly playing the same sort of ball game, I feel that Caustic Phlegm is basically the band that is offering just that which Tenebro is missing. While the Italians are stuck in their one-trick-show, Caustic Phlegm offers a lot of variety in tempo, riffs, doomy song structures and overall way more advanced sense of song writing.
The more exciting songs and overall experience makes Caustic Phlegm a rather unique act in a genre that is not quite known for its agility. In fact, today’s Death Metal scene is mostly typified for its bands that are afraid to look beyond any comfort zones and instead choose to copy Undergang and jump that band’s bandwagon. Caustic Phlegm isn’t that much different, but it clearly dares to stray from the all too much trodden paths.
With an intro and a remixed version of ‘Flesh Melt Contagion’ that also appeared on the band’s debut album, this demo’s gains may be a little on the meager side, it is abundantly clear that Caustic Phlegm is still on the roll and looking to expand its reach.
