Before talking about the music, I want to dedicate this review to Agigi Bob, also known as Bob Damokis, whose real name was Azizi Mohamad. Agigi sadly passed away in December 2025, and ‘Slay For Satan’ now serves as another recording of his contribution to the underground. He was already a familiar name long before Devouror, with a history that included Demisor, Beheaded Nasrani, Castigate, Damokis and Argon. He was also involved with recording work and organising shows for the Johor underground, including work connected with Rockin Jamz Music Studio in Johor Bahru. His contribution was not limited to playing bass, and anyone who followed the scene around Singapore and Johor would know that he was involved in many different sides of underground metal. Having his bass preserved on this EP makes ‘Slay For Satan’ all the more meaningful today.
The original Devouror lineup was a meeting of musicians with plenty of history behind them. Shyaithan handled guitars, songwriting and lyrics, Antichristo Xul took care of vocals, Asura played the second guitar, Agigi handled bass and Dizazter was behind the drums. Shyaithan’s own history needs little introduction to anyone familiar with Singapore metal. As the founder and main force behind Impiety, formed in 1990, he is one of the pioneers of the country’s extreme metal underground and has spent decades pushing Singaporean Black Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal far beyond the local scene. Bringing that experience together with musicians from different parts of the underground gave Devouror a very solid foundation from the start.
‘Slay For Satan’ was recorded at Studio 47 in Singapore in December 2018, only shortly after Devouror formed, and released in January 2019. There are only four tracks here, but the roughly 14-minute running time is enough to show exactly where the band was coming from. The sound is firmly based around the old Black Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal style, with the influence of bands such as Sarcófago, Possessed, Necrovore, Blasphemy and Sodom easy to hear.
‘The Decapitator’ gets the EP off to a strong start with sharp guitar work and aggressive drumming. The riffs move between Death Metal heaviness and Thrash Metal-influenced passages without becoming overly complicated, and the guitars remain the main attraction throughout the song. Dizazter gives the track plenty of drive while Xul’s vocals sit comfortably over the music without overpowering the riffs.
‘Ritualized Debauchery’ follows naturally and keeps the same approach. The guitars have enough changes to stop the track from becoming repetitive, while Agigi’s bass provides the low end underneath the guitars and drums. Xul’s vocal delivery fits the material well, and the whole song has the kind of roughness that works in favour of the music rather than making it sound underproduced.
For me, ‘Atomic Crossfire’ is the standout track. The Thrash Metal influence comes through more strongly here, especially in the guitar work, but the song still has the darker Death Metal and Black Metal character that runs through the EP. The riffs are memorable and the rhythm section keeps the song moving without turning it into a technical exercise. This is the sort of track that makes you want to hear the EP again after it finishes.
The choice of Sarcófago’s ‘I.N.R.I.’ as the closing track also makes perfect sense. Devouror keep the cover short and aggressive and do not try to do anything unnecessary with it. It fits the rest of the EP naturally and closes the release in the same old-school spirit that runs through the original songs.
I have always preferred the production on ‘Slay For Satan’ to ‘Diabolos Brigade’. The later album is cleaner and more developed, but the debut has a rougher sound that suits Devouror’s style much better. The guitars have bite, the drums have enough weight and the vocals are clear enough without losing the underground feel. Nothing sounds overly processed, and that gives the EP a character that the later album does not quite have.
This is also why I think the debut remains the more enjoyable Devouror recording. ‘Diabolos Brigade’ is a bigger and more polished album, but ‘Slay For Satan’ feels more immediate. The songs are shorter, the production is rougher and the whole thing sounds like musicians who had just put a new band together and were eager to get the material out. There is no wasted space and no attempt to stretch four good ideas into a full album.
The Impiety connection is naturally noticeable, particularly in the guitar work and overall aggression, but Devouror still had enough of its own character. Xul’s vocals bring a different feel, Asura adds another guitar voice and the rhythm section of Agigi and Dizazter gives the songs their own weight. It is clear where the musicians came from, but ‘Slay For Satan’ does not simply sound like another Impiety release.
What I like most about the EP is that it sounds honest. These musicians already knew the style inside out, so there was no need to make the songs complicated or add unnecessary modern touches. The riffs do the work, the drums keep things moving and the vocals fit where they should. The result is a short release that still sounds convincing years later.
Listening to it now also gives the EP a different kind of value because of Agigi’s passing. His work with Demisor, Beheaded Nasrani, Castigate, Damokis and Argon, along with his involvement in recording and the Johor underground, was part of a much longer contribution to the scene. ‘Slay For Satan’ captures one small part of that history, with his bass playing preserved alongside Shyaithan, Xul, Asura and Dizazter. For those who knew Agigi personally or followed his work over the years, that makes this recording worth holding on to.
For anyone who came to Devouror through ‘Diabolos Brigade’, I would seriously recommend going back to the first EP. For my money, ‘Slay For Satan’ has more character and more of the old-school feeling that makes this style of Metal so enjoyable. It is rougher, more direct and easier to come back to, and the four songs are enough to leave you wanting another spin instead of making you feel like you have just worked your way through a long album.
For a first release, Devouror got the important things right. The riffs are strong, the lineup worked well together, the production suits the material and the whole EP stays focused on what the band was formed to play. With Agigi Bob Damokis now sadly gone, ‘Slay For Satan’ also stands as part of his recorded legacy, while Shyaithan and the rest of the lineup left behind a debut that still holds up as one of the more memorable releases from Singapore’s Extreme Metal underground.
696 Fucking Skulls!
