After so many years living and following the South American Extreme Metal scene, and especially the Chilean one, it feels almost strange that this is the first time I have the opportunity to write about a Necrodemon album for a medium with an international perspective. This is not a new band trying to appear from nowhere. Necrodemon were formed in the 90s in Arica, in the far north of Chile, and over time became strongly connected to the Santiago scene. That history matters, because ‘Through Infinite Grief’ does not sound like a band trying to recover lost time; it sounds like a band using its own history as fuel.
There is always something valuable in bands that have survived different stages of an underground scene. Trends change, line-ups move, cities change, audiences change, but some names remain attached to a certain idea of resistance. Necrodemon belongs to that kind of Chilean Death Metal history. They are not simply releasing a new album; they are giving movement to a path built through years of persistence, live activity and underground work. In that sense, ‘Through Infinite Grief’ arrives at a very good moment, with the band active again on stage and sharing dates with historical names from the Chilean extreme metal scene such as Undercroft and Execrator.
The first thing that stands out is the production. ‘Through Infinite Grief’ sounds excellent: clear, powerful and precise, but not sterile. The album was mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, and that detail is not minor. There is a certain character linked to Swedish Death Metal in the sound, especially in the clarity of the guitars and the way the melodies breathe inside the aggression, but Necrodemon do not simply become a copy of that style. The album also moves through broader Death Metal territory, with echoes that may remind the listener of Death, Obituary or Entombed, without losing its own Chilean underground identity.
The cover artwork is another essential element. It was created by Dan Seagrave, one of the classic visual names of 90s Death Metal, and that immediately connects the album with the old school imagination of the genre. His work here feels memorable: organic, dark, twisted and full of movement. It is not just a decorative cover; it works as an entrance to the record. Before the music starts, the visual language already places the listener inside a world of grief, distortion and Death Metal tradition.
Musically, ‘Through Infinite Grief’ is a fast, expansive and very well-executed album. The songs move with intensity, but they are not based only on speed. There are changes, melodic sections, solid rhythmic responses, sharp riffs and solos that add character without becoming unnecessary decoration. Necrodemon’s music works because it understands how to combine violence with structure. The band can accelerate, slow down, open melodic lines and then return to the attack without losing control of the song.
That sense of execution is one of the strongest points of the album. This sounds like a band that rehearses, that knows how to respond to each movement within its songs, and that understands the difference between playing fast and playing with purpose. Of course, the studio can always improve certain details, but these songs do not feel artificially built. I had the chance to attend the album release show, and the material worked brutally live. That is important. These are not songs that only exist well in a recording; they have the body and strength to hit on stage.
The compositions are fierce from every angle. There is speed, but also control. There is melody, but it does not soften the music. There is aggression, but also a clear sense of arrangement. The album has that kind of Death Metal energy that pushes the body to move, the head to spin and the listener to stay inside the attack. It is not a record that tries to be overly progressive or unnecessarily complex. Its strength lies in directness, precision and conviction.
At the same time, ‘Through Infinite Grief’ is not a flat record. The melodic work gives it a wider dimension, and the solos help open spaces inside the violence. That is where the album becomes more than just a solid Death Metal release. It has moments of expansion, moments of pressure and moments where the band shows that old school Death Metal can still feel fresh when it is played with real hunger and discipline.
There is also a sense of projection around this album. Necrodemon are currently active live, and hopefully this new material will allow them to move across Chile, from the north to the south, and eventually beyond. The album deserves proper diffusion, not only because it represents a Chilean band with history, but because the music itself has enough strength to stand in an international context. This is not just “a good Chilean Death Metal album”. It is a good Death Metal album, period.
That distinction matters. For many listeners outside South America, Necrodemon may still be an unfamiliar name. But ‘Through Infinite Grief’ is the kind of record that can open that door. It has history, production, artwork, strong songs, live energy and enough old school identity to connect with Death Metal followers anywhere. It does not feel like a nostalgic exercise. It feels like a band still fighting, still moving and still sharpening its own blade.
In the end, ‘Through Infinite Grief’ is a solid and convincing album. It is fast, melodic, aggressive, well recorded and executed with real precision. It carries the weight of Necrodemon’s history, but it does not remain trapped in the past. Instead, it uses that history to push forward. For those who follow Chilean Death Metal, this is an important release. For those who simply love Death Metal with riffs, energy, melody and conviction, this is also a record worth discovering.
Necrodemon does not return from nostalgia. It returns from an open wound, and ‘Through Infinite Grief’ turns that wound into movement.
