Band:	Demonoid
Album:	Riders Of The Apocalypse
Style:	Death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	July 26, 2004
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Wargods
02. Firestorms
03. Witchburners
04. 14th Century Plague
05. Hunger My Consort
06. The Evocation
07. Arrival Of The Horsemen
08. End Of Our Times
09. Death

Back in 2004, the band Therion was on top of the world. With a strong line-up and on the way to release a double album [Lemuria/Sirius B], the Swedes' side-project Demonoid went almost unnoticed. Nonetheless, they gave us their first record with Riders of the Apocalypse. Stripped of the operatic vocals and choirs belonging to Therion, this album is a more aggressive version of Therion's music.

Harbouring the same excellent guitar work of Kristian Niemann and the efficient bass lines of his brother Johan Niemann, the album kicks in violently and never let go. Richard Evensand is having a great time on drums and Christofer Johnsson is unleashing all he got vocally. In a Death Thrash Metal mode, Demonoid is a fantastic spin on Therion's sound.

Riders of the Apocalypse is a concept album, as you may have gathered from the title. Annihilation of humankind is the order of the day. Beyond the (biblical) story, it is a very solid album, with in-your-face songs featuring trademark Therion guitar work. It is also interesting to hear only Death Metal vocals with no lighter soprano counterpart. The atmosphere is dark and heavy, dim and threatening. While some tracks can be overwhelming if you only like Therion for their vocals, it will fill old school Death Thrash fans with delight. Production is top-notch and that makes a great difference as the drums are really prominent without suffocating the guitars, giving a heavier edge to the music.

If like me you were clueless about this album, do yourself a favor and check it out. All considered Riders of the Apocalypse is an excellent Death Thrash Metal album. Demonoid have scheduled the issue of a second record sometime before the end of 2008. However, Christofer Johnsson has left the project to focus solely on Therion. But fear not, as Masse "Emperor Magus Caligula" Bromberg of Dark Funeral fame is on board to fill in the vocal duties. Watch out!