Review of Demon Eye's Tempora Infernalia

There are some things in life that are either so inherently likable or just so easy to pull off that it's really hard to screw them up. Along with such life staples as pizza and sex, any band playing 70s style riff rock seems to be set for instant likability no matter how plain the presentation may be. North Carolina's Demon Eye could get away with this given their choice of genre but they really manage to go above and beyond for their second full-length album.

While Demon Eye is gritty enough for them to be associated with the stoner doom community, you won't find too many slow tempos or downtrodden riffs on here. Instead, the band pulls influence from several different bands; the intricate guitar work is somewhere between Rush's first three albums and Iron Maiden's first two, the nasally vocals remind one of a lower pitched Geddy Lee, and the songwriting has the same shuffle that defined the early efforts of Rainbow and Deep Purple.

The songs themselves don't stray too far from the upbeat swing tempos but there are some that break the mold. "Listen To The Darkness" and "Black Winds" opt for fast paced stoner rock, "Give Up The Ghost" combines a mid-tempo with a neat Eastern vocal/guitar harmony, and "Poison Garden" and "Please, Father" take things into spacier directions. Of course, the upbeat songs end up being the best with "I'll Be Creeping" and "See The Signs" in particular throwing out hook after hook.

Demon Eye's second album has no aspirations of genre revolution or any epic scope, but the fun factor makes it one of the strongest albums 2015 has to offer. The songwriting shows a lot of skill and care behind it and the band's energy matches it in spades. I have yet to hear their debut in full but I just may have to look into it as I wait for even greater things in the future.

Highlights:
"End Of Days"
"I'll Be Creeping"
"See The Signs"
"In The World, Not Of It"
"Black Winds"