The debut from Swedish punk revivalists
"Demons" has all the raucous energy and plain-stated devotion to recklessness that any good outing in this genre should. The vocals are snotty, the guitars cacophonous, and the resulting wall of rock & roll sound stands up like a proud monument to musical excess. Highlights include the boisterous "Nothing Special" and "Hurts to Smile," not to mention the complete abandon of "You're Gonna Trash Me." A few numbers like the lackluster title cut don't quite make the grade, but there's nothing on
Riot Salvation that's bland enough to tame the group's swagger. Fans of countrymen
Hellacopters as well as mutual influences like the Stooges and
the Sex Pistols will certainly enjoy this 2000 Gearhead Records offering. ~ Vincent Jeffries