Album Review: Demonic Death Judge - Absolutely Launched
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
If you like your riffs thick, sludgy and packed full of ball breaking energy then you need to check out “Absolutely Launched”, the fifth album from stoner metal monsters, Demonic Death Judge.
With a raspy voice that sounds like he’s constantly chain-smoking, vocalist Jaako Heinonen, leads the sonic assault and doesn’t let up from the first to the last word lyric. The Finnish foursome has 8 new songs on this record, and as guitarist Toni Raukola says it “is by far the filthiest record we’ve ever made” and the heaviness seeps out of every pore.
Just listen to the opening of “90’s Violence” makes me want to stamp on people’s heads, whilst holding a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand. It’s a full-on crowd pleaser and sets the tone for what it about to come. The bassline from Eetu Lehtinen is pulsating and buzzes around like an annoying wasp and combines well with drummer Lauri Pikka to set the rhythm.
“Natural Wine Guy” might have been written about me, as I do enjoy a bottle of Malbec or Rioja, but as some of these songs were written during the pandemic, and Jaako confirming that they were “mainly drinking through it all” I guess it was symbolic of that moment in time where some of us had little else to do. A simple drum beat kicks off “You’ve Got Red on You” and with the voice taking over, it allows you to concentrate on the bluesy rock notes that are splattered here and across the record, adding to the atmospheric textures layered across the songs.
I really love the simplicity of what they are doing, the opening riff on “Goner” is pure filth, and if you aren’t starting your own most pits in the local supermarket whilst listening to this on your headphones, then you are doing it all wrong. It is helped along by another cracking bass line, which is great to hear. The offer a slower pace in the middle, but it works well with the echoed vocal and then comes back to life with a slick solo. “Dead Dogs” is the nastiest song on the record, with a sound like a 15-foot gator emerging from the swamps of Louisiana carrying a gun ready to shoot your ass!!!! It reminds me of Artimus Pyledriver and has a proper heavy riff at the end before the monologue.
Another bruiser of a track is next, or so you think, as “I Realise That…Now” starts off that way initially, before it relaxes and tells its own sad story. As Heinonen mentioned some of the music “is pretty bleak stuff” and this has that downbeat, sad, almost cathartic feel about it, with a melodic yet intense groove, whilst “Spliffhanger” is another that builds momentum quickly and the music flows effortlessly.
With the album titled song, “Absolutely Launched” bringing up the rear, the claim from Raukola that “these riffs reek of blues, petrol and violence” holds up to scrutiny. With their natural groove complimenting their crushing power, it will send a few ripples across the oceans, as the ferocious Finns are heading for your town with their mighty riffs, so get ready for action.
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