Review of Neongod - Self Titled Demo

The chug of some of the more mid-paced modern Exodus tracks meets your standard gruff vocals to form Norwegian fivesome Neongod’s debut demo. Want to know more about what they sound like? Take it straight from the mouth of the band itself: “The idea we had was simple; create some real heavy shit based on the music we appreciate the most, incorporating groove, aggression, hard hitting riffs, progressiveness and more groove.” Trust me, for better or worse, the band has encapsulated its sound in one sentence.

Whether or not you’ll like this demo depends on your ability or inability to appreciate extremely heavy and modern groove metal. There’s not a whole lot you’re immediately going to hear that will distinguish one song from the other, as this recording follows the chugga chugga chugga formula with a sense of purpose rarely heard, except for a large chunk of the last track, “Murphy’s Law,” which explores some territory that sounds pretty close to Nevermore’s heavier moments. While this approach might immediately polarize most listeners, those who have a liking for chugging groove/thrash will certainly be in a heaven all their own. I have a hard time committing myself to the demo because while I do enjoy groove in my metal, I don’t necessarily like it as redundant as this recording sometimes sounds. There’s something killer about how unrelenting the chugging riffs coming from guitarists Jacobsen and Gujic can be, but I can only listen to it for so long before I start wishing for a more epic or distinct sound. The fact that there’s not much to distinguish vocalist Svein Reinton’s gruff shouts from the millions of other throaty voices out there doesn’t help, either.

Potential is the key word here, as beneath the often times redundant chugging riffs are moments where Gujic and Jacobsen let loose and exercise their fingers a bit more for some commendable interplay and soloing, such as two and a half minutes into the faster-paced “Disease Inc.” Listening to that little section frustrates me a bit every time because I can tell from that minute alone that these guys could easily incorporate more diversity in their sound without having to sacrifice the groove and aggression they want to capture. The crushing groove of Gujic and Jacobsen’s guitar work and Sven Rothe’s impressively disciplined drumming remain the demo’s highlights, and anyone interested in modern groove metal is enthusiastically encouraged to give Neongod a try, but the rest of us who aren’t as easily pleased will be waiting for their first full-length to see if they can expand on what is right now a solid but ultimately fairly mediocre template.

Release Details

Neongod

Self Titled Demo

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