Demonstealer’s New Solo EP ‘And This Too Shall Pass’ Set for December Release

After a couple of years spent slowly retreating from touring and making music, it took a pandemic and months in lockdown for Mumbai-based Demonstealer aka Sahil Makhija to get back to releasing music in earnest. Although always writing riffs and conjuring song ideas, it was once the frontman of extreme metallers Demonic Resurrection had enough to put together an EP that a crowdfunding campaign was floated in July, raising ₹1,93,890.

Written, played and recorded by Makhija — which means no assists or guest collaborators, unlike his previous solo records The Last Reptilian Warrior [2018] and This Burden Is Mine [2016] — the latest offering is a four-track record called And This Too Shall Pass. Perhaps a nod to the collective attitude everyone could go with in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the multi-instrumentalist says in a statement, “I guess this is me at my most vulnerable. It’s just me, no incredible musicians to back me up, just me putting my expression and feelings and thoughts into songs for the world to listen to.”

Channeling a bit of his long-standing love for melodic death metal as well as forlorn, emotive lyricism, songs like “This Crumbling Earth,” “A Festering Wound, “Systemic Failure” and “From Flesh to Ashes” all point towards a wizened songwriter in heavy music. While Makhija usually takes on adding finishing touches to his music, this time he’s outsourced mixing and mastering duties to Poland’s Hertz Studio, which has previously worked on records like extreme metal heavyweights such as Behemoth and Vader. And This Too Shall Pass will release on December 11th.

Hear the EP sampler for ‘And This Too Shall Pass’ below. Pre-order here.