Album Review: Demon In Me – Here’s Your Way Out

Ryan August 24, 2016 212 Comments 306 views 0 likes

The greatest service that an artist can provide to a potential suitor is the telling of a story, be it through pictures, words, music or visual representation. It’s not only an outlet of someone’s personality, but it’s a way of pure expression from the highs and lows of life and their perspective. Forming that connection is one of the hardest aspects of art, but once it is made, an entire new world can be opened up for exploration. That is what San Jose, California alternative rock outfit Demon In Me hope to do with their debut album Here’s Your Way Out. Forming a little over a year ago, the band has quickly been on the rise building a fan base through the release of multiple powerful and relatable singles showcasing a rather unique take on the alternative rock genre. With such a strong connection already made with fans, does the band’s debut continue along the path of their previous entries or does it take listeners down a different path?

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Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Standby Records
Release: September 2, 2016
Connect: Facebook | Twitter
Purchase: iTunes | Google Play | Physical
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Here’s Your Way Out starts out on a soft, somber note as the plucking of a guitar builds quietly into soft sung vocals, giving off a very emo-esque vibe to a band that lives closer to the rock side of music. Eventually, this opening track, “Cold Sweat”, hits its crescendo as it explodes into the full band sound, while retaining a mostly softer vocal approach. This blend between alternative rock and emotional, soft sung, meaningful lyrics is where Demon In Me find their home, creating an unpredictable and wholly unique to them sound throughout the record. One of the more noticeable aspects that lives in their sound is a huge sense of calmness and relief that lives throughout the melodies and harmonies intertwined between the lyrics. Coupled with the album artwork being that of a forest with an open door and further in the background a sailing ship, there’s an inviting aspect to the record that urges listeners to go on a journey with the band.

Demon In Me – Bruised Hands

Purchase on Digital: http://smarturl.it/kqdljh Physical: http://smarturl.it/p68x37

With such a calming effect, a worry might be that the record is lacking in variety or upon first listen is enticing, but ends up flat as it lacks replayability. Fortunately, Demon In Me are a talented group of musicians who know that variety is a huge driving force behind today’s music scene and throw down some unexpected sounds. There’s more progressive and technical guitar work as found in “Sink or Swim”, a hard hitting rock anthem like “Enough’s Enough” or haunting, atmospheric sounds displayed in “What You Are”. Sprinkled between all this are stand out, memorable guitar riffs, basslines that act as a driving force to the music and detailed drumming with crisp, crashing cymbals. This instrumental approach allows a smooth transition track to track and shits beautifully under the swooning and emotionally shimmering vocal approach taken throughout Here’s Your Way Out.

Many of today’s newer artists tend to release EP’s to launch their musical careers as a way to gauge their ability to create music in a finely tuned package while getting something out for the world to hear. Demon In Me took a different approach as they crafted a full-fledged record with a mission in mind of crafting a journey to take listeners on while at the same time paving way for their own future as musicians. Finding the right balance between the two resulted in what fans will get to hear with Here’s Your Way Out and that is an emotionally charged, shimmering near-hour long standout alternative rock record that will fit nicely into any music lover’s library.