Album Details

• Artist: Job For A Cowboy
• Album: Demonocracy
• Label: Metal Blade
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2012-06-11

With its torrent of riffs and growling, and million-note solos, "Children of Deceit," the opener of the new one from Job for a Cowboy, seems more like a blueprint for a metal song than an actual effort that can stand on its own. "Demonocracy" isn't bad, it just takes some digging to find the original bones in its body. If you ask even the casual fan to describe this kind of metal, they would most likely describe pieces of the nine songs here; there is a fine line between textbook accuracy and self-parody, and Job for a Cowboy straddle that one in ways too close for comfort. For a band almost ten years old and with a slew of fans and sweaty deadly live shows behind them, you'd expect a sound that reflects a vision, not just a set of ordinary death metal that could have been recorded by anyone.

Like "Children," "Nourishment through Bloodshed" trots out prog keyboard clichés to underpin another generic thrash tune. The dual croaking vocals seem less an infernal call and response than an argument between two hoarse shrews. The relentless groove of "Black Discharge" and "Fearmonger" are more satisfying, as is the massive closer, "Tarnished Gluttony," where the prog elements work, and the minimal dark guitar solo truly have impact.

There are too many songs on "Demonocracy" that sound either like death metal by the numbers or songs that try to take attention away from the lack of inspiration through more growling and frantic solos. Job For A Cowboy are better than that, and have proven it many times over the years. While there are a few direct hits on this that are worth adding to their greatest hits, a band that offers much settles for less.

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