Fantastical possession, welcomed exile and the ominous mysteries of a journeyed life whip into cyclone as the grand vision of Detroit, Michigan-based heavy metal quintet DEMON BITCH realizes its classicist intent upon returning from eight years spent welling up with this spirited sophomore full-length album. ‘Master of the Games‘ is more than a matter of leveling up to a bigger n’ better proposition from these power-lords but rather a whole new realm of narrative command which reaches the highs of their ‘epic’ ancestral heavy metal inspiration. Still shredding and wailing in a decidedly 80’s heavy metal mused mode their work here ups both speed and intricacy to the point that every hit lands as a muscle flexed, a more biting and insistent clamp down upon the unlimited expressive potential of the traditional heavy metal palette.

Demon Bitch have been around since 2011 having formed beyond the members collective efforts in black metal group Isenblåst and heavy metal/hard rock troupe White Magician. Their initial focus was full of garage level estrangement referencing Cauldron Born and Borrowed Time as folks tried to place a still nascent but 80’s heavy personae rich ideal forming on their first demo (‘Demo ’12‘, 2012). It wasn’t until their first official EP (‘Death is Hanging…‘, 2014) that the initial trio had fleshed out into the key quintet featured since, it was also the point where the band began incorporating inspiration from 80’s United States power metal and heavier hits of speed metal. This’d quickly evolved their guitar-driven skills toward an (early) Fates Warning and Omen feeling ride which still featured some love for classic Thin Lizzy and Mercyful Fate as they’d developed. Their crowning glory and just an especially fine underground heavy metal record for the mid-2010’s ‘Hellfriends‘ (2016) should be enough to sell any traditional metal fan on these folks unless the raw, roughshod production is an issue. They had that hollow-souled ‘old school’ feeling down, their sound was a ruckus and they could even kinda shred skulls (see: “Beneath the Ice Caves”, “The Microdome”) so, why did they take eight years to make another album?

Well, it technically took about two years to complete. If I had to intuit an answer I’d say their interests steered wherever they saw fit over the years as the aforementioned adjacent bands needed some attention and each released at least one full-length in the interim. Sitting with ‘Master of the Games‘ today it definitely sounds like they put pretty damned painstaking effort into making this record, having spent two years packing it out the ass with energetic performances, incredibly finessed shred-wild guitar compositions, and one of my favorite vocal performances of 2024. Though some manner of polish and ‘epic’ loft has been applied to the Demon Bitch repertoire their aim is yet ye olde USPM and traditional heavy metal of the obscure 80’s variety, paced a bit tighter and sent over the top even further by the wilding visions of vocalist Logon Saton. You’ll still recognize their gig by ear but they’ve definitely buffed up at the heavy metal gym, tightened up where it counts.

The medieval, the neoclassical and the magickal all walk with us through what Logon‘d envisioned for ‘Master of the Games‘ as tales of possessed captivity and secreted-away mystery are given expertly verbose lyrical treatment alongside the labyrinthine entrance the vocalist’d painted for the cover. While this doesn’t appear to be a concept album there is some admirable consistency in their overall vision which is worth mentioning up front for the sake of all angles being considered and Demon Bitch‘s focus remaining on a “rough” underground feeling despite having clearly skilled up quite a bit in the last eight years. To start the introductory fanfare of “Beyond the Pillars” establishes a high fantasy setting, medieval guidance into “The Quickening” greeting us at a thrashing pace and making sure the listener learns virtually everything they need to know about this album in the span of about six minutes. The production values lend an instantly gratifying clarity here where the natural emphasis is upon the riff and shredding from the two guitarists, of course, but this time around the vocals are loud and clear rather than distant as they’d been on ‘Hellfriends‘.

Whereas the previous album dabbled in loose-slung trade off leads and dual guitar harmonies the bulk of ‘Master of the Games‘ chases down every potential second they might direct with a lead hook or wailing high to send off any given piece. “Not of the Cruciform” is a fine example of their dual guitar interplay meeting up with the 70’s-’til-80’s Lizzy level of harmony previously present in their work finding gains through a power-speed metal whip, serving as a major feature of the piece and its voice. The finesse with which they approach these needed-out details is brilliant, copped from the high standards of the late 80’s guitar obsession with speed and flash. “Sentinel at the Spire” is probably the high point of this overall implementation as one of the more elaborate and longest (re: most “epic”) piece which flexes how well the various vocal aptitudes and lead guitar voicing work together in creating melodrama throughout. All of the best tenets of classic heavy metal, per this marriage of speed metal juiced action, are displayed alongside a voice which for my own taste is up there with the better moments of John Cyriis and ‘The Forgotten Scroll‘-era Steve Plocica for a lack of more obvious reference where a bit of a neoclassic metal touch polishes up some of the arrangements (see also: “Into the Archway“.)

Polishing their pace, refining their sound, executing a well-thought vision, and lending the right feeling of underground 80’s heavy/power metal at a speed/thrash metal adjacent fuse ensures ‘Master of the Games‘ feels like it was worth the wait as a progression beyond where Demon Bitch had gotten their start. The fact that this comes without losing any of their inherent authenticity is both a surprise and a point of self-mastery considering their sound was charmingly ruddy, obscured but inspired years ago. While this is all vital to pulling folks back into their gravitational sphere what had me sticking around had more to do with the journey through the labyrinth presented within, all of the pure and primal force of their work wouldn’t amount to much without worthy, dramatic songs carrying the ear through. They accomplish this through a high rate of fire in terms of sheer ideas piling toward the sum of each piece, all of it being rapid enough to convey classics-built ideals without a lull in sight. A high recommendation.

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