Finland’s Demilich has lots of letters, lots of words in their song titles. Hopefully this review will do this justice.

On Wednesday, May 9th, Demilich landed at Philadelphia’s Millcreek Tavern. A small, yet quaint little bar in University City, the collegiate section of the city. An area that has had their fair share of metal shows. Some have not been quite as crowded, but this night, we were packed like sardines.

None of which could ever be a bad thing.

The show opened up with the sounds of Delaware’s Scorched, a young up and coming band with people I was already acquainted with, haven’t seen in a long time, and was surprised to see. It was one of those “I haven’t seen you in so long! You got so big!” moments. Well..anyone is large compared to me…Following their set, Artificial Brain out of New York was next. A band I was unfamiliar with, but a band I said I would try to discover further. A crushing set, yet I was slightly distracted by the barking of a giant pit bull who decided to be a lap-dog, and made me almost forget about the concert inside the bar.

Blood Incantation from Denver was up next. Another young and up and coming band with a nice fan base. Again, I was unfamiliar with the band and will hope to check out more of their work. From a distance, I could hear the early sounds of Death. It was far too crowded to be near the stage, and so we stood in the back, beers in hand, death metal in one ear, and in the other, the final game of the 2017-18 76’ers season. Basketball, if you’re unfamiliar. In short, the team were attempting to overcome a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Celtics, and while they managed to get one game on them, they would lose this one by a mere two points. But I hardly follow it much, I’m a hockey fan. Go Flyers. (I suppose this is where you will all roast me 😉 )

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Hailing from Kuopio, Finland, in the blue and white corner, the undisputed death metal masters….Demilich! Demilich, the professionals that they are, wasted no time setting up and beginning their set. Though they only have one full-length album, the cleverly named Nespithe, it was enough for a full-set.

I first became familiar with Demilich at Maryland Deathfest back in 2015. I had heard their name in passing, and I knew them as “didn’t they break up in 1993? Oh man, MDF is getting some obscure names!” and I was on the barricade for their set in order to secure my spot for Amorphis’ later set.

As soon as I heard the first riff of “The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)”, I was in love. Completely in love. Now, I have oft declared my love for all things Swedish; death metal, melodic death, doom, to name a few, but there’s something very special about the sounds of Finland. Be it the depressing sounds of Swallow The Sun, the melodic keys of Kalmah, to the crushing doomy in your face punches by Cartilage (who will remain always my favorite Finnish death metal band-plz reunite thx).

And Demilich is no different. “The Sixteenth” would become a song that would remain special to my heart; it’s a great motivational tool, a song that gets me pumped to run on that treadmill, and to study for my Kinesiology classes. Sure enough, an album with the letters of “The Spine” would help me through A&P (anatomy and physiology, for you non-health students 😉 )

So when I heard this as their second song of the night, was I thrilled…!

Each bone crushing riff, each ear-shattering cymbal slam, each bass line that pounded against the heart, it was enough to move the tiny college-town bar. Again, we were packed like sardines, sweat pouring down our bodies, I’m pretty sure I burned a few good calories, maybe lost a pound or two. And then, the mosh pit broke out. Without warning, and we all took a very nice tumble. Of course, we all got up and when there’s a pit, thou must mosh! And so we did. Circle pits, push pits, slamming your partner against the ground, banging our heads along with the soul crushing beat, it was a show that will surely go down in Philadelphia’s history books.

Hopefully it will not be another decade (or so) before they hit the US shores. If they’re in your town, be sure to go, you will not regret it.

Setlist:

1. Inherited Bowel Levitation – Reduced Without Any Effort

2. The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)

3. The Planet That Once Used to Absorb Flesh in Order to Achieve Divinity and Immortality (Suffocated to the Flesh That It Desired…)

4. The Cry

5. And the Slimy Flying Creatures Reproduce in Your Brains

6. (Within) The Chamber of Whispering Eyes

7. The Faces Right Below The Skin of The Earth

8. Vanishing of Emptiness

9. The Putrefying Road in the Nineteenth Extremity (…Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness…)

10. Raped Embalmed Beauty Sleep

11. The Echo (Replacement)

12. When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water