Deathwish has established itself as a strong label with releases from Some Girls. Sex Positions, the Blinding Light, and so on. But, even the best of labels is bound to make a misstep here or there. Ladies and gentleman, I give you your misstep. I’ve heard lots of praise for this band, so I was expecting something different from what I actually got, like an album that was actually interesting.

100 Demon’s self-titled debut kicks off with a little Integrity sounding acoustic intro that builds until the opening track hits its stride. From that moment on, I was completely and unimpressed with this record. Like Integrity, this band plays metallic hardcore with breakdowns and the occasional metal riffing. But unlike Integrity’s last effort, which was also on Deathwish, this album lacks energy and never shows any real intensity. More than anything, it’s just mosh riff after mosh riff, but these songs aren’t evem enjoyable in an indulgent mosh metal sense. I guess it’s supposed to be tough or heavy, but it’s just boring. This stuff just seems so sterile, if it were possible for an album to have negative urgency; this would be around –6.

And then there are the lyrics. Lyrically, this band is brutal, but not the kind of brutal they were probably going for. In keeping with their name, they go for a darker, quasi-evil element. And who wouldn’t be scared by lines like:

Don't even tell me because I already know.
This fucking beast inside always ready to make a show.
Never can I leave it behind, a definite part of me. It has controlled my life,
it is destroying me.
I don't need the drugs, because the rage, it gets me high.
I didn't say I won't do them though, that would be a lie.
Crashing inside my head the red it clouds my eyes.
I always ruin what I value the most.
Existing in hell, this is all that I know.
Where the comfort lies
YOU MADE ME!!!
You can't help me.
God help you.
You can't help me.
God help!

I didn’t really want to quote the entire song; rather, I just wanted a single line that exemplified how bad these lyrics really are. But, as you can see, it’s not easy to choose. I’m not sure how vocalist Pete Morcey can bark this stuff out with a straight face. I know these guys are tough, but breaking into a kid’s locker and stealing his notebook seems kind of harsh.

All in all, these guys will fit right in with Hatebreed and their ilk. I’m sure they’ll earn high praise for the way they bring the mosh, but for me, this album might as well be filled with lullabies. So people, it is because this that I must warn you. Be ever vigilant, because falling asleep in the pit could be fatal.