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SONIC DEMON
Veterans Of The Psychic War

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 7/10

Drenched in fuzz and grooving like a late 60s satanic orgy, Italian weed eaters Sonic Demon prowl the night like a deranged Charles Manson-esque cult yet armed with massive, dirty riffs and numerous psychedelics to keep them in their doom-stoned trance.

Naturally there is a lot of Electric Wizard influence here, as seems to be the case with so many bands of this ilk, and for me such dynamics remain an acquired taste due to the generic nature of such creations. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been on such a trip for a while that Sonic Demon’s second full-length outing appeals, from its typically stoned cover art right down to the sneering, snarling yet often obscured vocal spits.

Sure, Veterans Of The Psychic War offers little in the way of variety as the eight tracks on offer all follow a similar pattern of groove-based fuzziness that drips heavily with a late 60s and early 70s psych influence caressed by satanic overtones on the likes of ‘Lucifer’s The Light’ and ‘Sexmagick Nights’, although the latter offers more subtlety with its mesmeric electricity. ‘The Gates’ is another notable track where a heavyweight, punky garage attitude drips from the pores of this sonic buzz, while ‘F.O.A.D.’ offers up similar sun-drenched, blood-soaked aesthetics.

This is very much occult fuzz crafted a million times before, but when in the mood I can lap this up like a rabid werewolf drowning in the blood of its latest victim.

Neil Arnold

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