Artist: Devil Pig
Country: South Korea
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
Although for a few seconds I thought I was dealing with a solo project by the singer of Embrace Of Thorns who uses this same pseudonym, this is a band hailing from a completely different part of the world. Nope, savage South Korean Black Metal, is not something I am digging up on a daily basis. But, this short eight-minute-and-a-bit clocking demo is a pleasant first introduction to this two-piece.
In exactly 8:30, we are being treated on four tracks and an intro of something that is not quite hard to define. These two individuals are clearly inspired by Von, Beherit and Proclamation. While it is always a safe bet to mention Beherit in this sort of occasions, it very evidently carries Von’s chaotic side and the whole thing has a much more pronounced Death Metal connotation than the Finns and Americans, making the comparison with Proclamation an almost inevitable one. It might indeed be rather unoriginal and, honestly, not even executed that well (especially the rather plastic sounding programmed drums), but it has an undeniable and irresistible charm. The authenticity of the recording, with its strong DIY-ethos written all over it, also helps to increase its enjoyability. ‘Demo 2025’ shows that music doesn’t necessarily needs to be really good to enjoy it; atmosphere and intention are two very underrated aspects of why music appeals to you (or not). That means that if you’re in for some brutal and straight-forward Black/Death Metal with a Punk-ish FOAD-attitude, you can consider this being your next stop. And you’ll see, those somewhat clumsy digital drums are easily forgiven.
