If Apocalyptic Dawn rings a bell, you’re already a true Demonic Resurrection fan.
Following his European tour last year, Sahil “The Demonstealer” Makhija (guitar/vocals, Demonstealer, Mirror of Ash, Solus Ex Inferis, ex-Reptilian Death…), now joined by Aditya Swaminathan (guitar, Gutslit), Swarnava Sengupta (bass), and Nikhil Rajkumar (drums, Godless), as well as guest artist Anabelle Iratni (keyboards/backing vocals, Veile, ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Devilment), will release a new EP in 2026 to mark their 25th anniversary.
The Great Famine immediately grabs our attention, offering a fairly calm but disturbing introduction that intensifies with the guitar, then with Sahil‘s roars accompanying the rest of the band, propelling us into this spiral of violence sublimated by the orchestrations. The Demonic Resurrection touch is intact, although the vocals are even more powerful than usual, and the lead guitar effortlessly revs up the machine, leading us to the grandiose Of Blindness and Divinity, where keyboards and harmonics are reinforced to offer the band’s intrinsic liveliness. The violence of the rhythm section is not to be outdone, nor are the technical flourishes found in all the instruments, as well as in the very natural transitions between the majestic phases and the more jerky parts, softening at the end before joining Apocalyptic Dawn XXV, a re-recording of the eponymous track released in 2005 featuring the haunting keyboards of Mephisto (member from 2003 to 2016), which has been given a facelift while respecting the original composition.
Demonic Resurrection enters a new era with its EP Apocalyptic Dawn. The recent European tour proved that the band has what it takes, and that its longevity, although confined to the underground, is no accident. Stay Demonic!
95/100
