Artist: Verwándlung
Country: Australia
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
Although a physical cassette tape version has been announced, this debut demo by Australian band Verwándlung, recorded in separate sessions between 2024 and mid-2025, is only available digitally via the band’s Bandcamp page. But that’s more than enough to get a good impression, so let’s take a deep dive.
After a 90-second noisy intro ‘Imperialist Regimes Must Fall’ bursts into a thoroughly messy Black/Death Metal affair with enough grinding parts to also appeal to people who are usually into the noisy side of Grindcore. Having said that, the majority of the music is clearly based on the same fundamentals laid by Beherit and especially Blasphemy around 1990. The chaotic barrage of drums and guitars forms a solid foundation for the fierce and effects-laden vocals, resulting in a relentless maelstrom of death and destruction. Nothing what we haven’t heard before, but executed solidly, resulting in a very enjoyable first demo. At only nine minutes, it’s a bit on the short side, but that’s something I can only applaud: less is more, and definitely more effective.
In case you haven’t already understood, this is fodder for those who prefer their Bestial/War kind of Black/Death Metal slightly more leaning towards the Death Metal side. To complete the picture you can think of Teitanblood (a slight resemblance between the Verwándlung logo and that of the Spanish cannot go unseen), Proclamation, Sadomator and such Australian titans as Bestial Warlust and Abominator.
