Demon King – Death Knell
Release Date: 14th November 2025
Label: The Artisan Era
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Technical Death Metal
FFO: Inferi, Enfold Darkness, Apogean, Equipoise, Stortregn.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Demon King unleashed their brand of blackened technical death metal on the world with a pair of EPs, 2021s The Final Tyranny and 2023s Vesania. Now they’re back with their debut full length, Death Knell, which sees them continue to forge an unholy mixture of technical death metal and black metal on par with anything being released in either genre these days.
Like their labelmates Inferi, Enfold Darkness, Apogean, and Equipoise, Demon King plays fast and technical death metal with an ear for melody. Add to this the black metal influence that seasons Demon King’s songs, and you have a potent amalgamation of metal music. Songs like Incineration Mantra and Pharmagickal Dominion show a band of musicians playing with a technical prowess that few are capable of.
The one issue I have with the album is all the spoken word parts throughout. I realize there is a precedent for spoken word passages in black metal, but the band uses it too much on Death Knell. Admittedly, this is a small gripe, as the music itself remains excellent no matter what vocal style is being used.
Demon King showed their potential with The Final Tyranny and Vesania, and Death Knell more than lives up to the promise. Fans of The Artisan Era roster will find much to enjoy on this record.
(4 / 5)
