The Italian Borrower Formed in 1993, they released three demos in the ’90s, a fourth in 2005 and then vanished until 2018 with their debut EP. Whatever interrupted their music career, the dream remained and they finally released their first album (and signed with a label) 33 years later with their founding singer, Massano Ratano, and drummer, Frank Formoso, along with new guitarists Matteo Marzo and Matteo Marini. Here is their vision, a story of killers, humanoid demons as told through music reminiscent of some of the legends of ’80s and ’90s speed metal.
Admittedly, the idea of an album where each song tells a story about a separate demonic entity with its own unique “physical features” and “specific weapon” is extremely silly, yet Killerdemons prove catchy and cool. Borrower claim that Motörhead, Judas Priest and Dio are their main influences, and they write lean, riff-tastic tracks in their honor. The guitars carry far more weight than their influences, however, with enough reverb to bring the tracks dangerously close to stoner territory like High on Fire and Black Sabbath. That marriage between speed and stoner proves effective. “El Degollador” sways between lightning-fast riffs inspired by “Ace of Spades” and slower, “War Pigs”-style stoner riffs, in a performance that will surely give you chills. Taking inspiration from AC/DC, Borrower keep their song structures simple but catchy. The lively “Stay Alive” best demonstrates this virtue with clean songwriting and an energetic pace. Each track has distinct riffs that are far stronger than the demons they evoke.
In the eight years that followed their 2018 EP, A Plague Chapter…, Borrower have significantly improved their sound and organic prowess. The two Matteos have played a big role in this transformation. Marini’s fuzzy guitar tone adds intensity where the EP’s guitars sounded faint. Mixing Motörhead-style riffcrafting with the density of High on Fire and Mastodon adds extra tension to tracks like “Der Todessoldat” and “Tough Fight.” Marzo’s bass also has an imposing presence. It adds depth and backbone to the music, making its presence especially noticeable in the slower moments of “Knocking on the Coffins.” Formoso adopts a restrained approach behind the kit, occasionally playing the cymbals (“Dream on Fire”), but mainly keeping time with effective simplicity. The band’s wild card is singer Ratano. He seemingly interacts with Lemmy, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Fozzie Bear in a truly strange but somewhat lovable performance. His Italian accent, which stretches the words “kee-ler dee-mons” during the chorus of “Killerdemons,” adds a layer of camp that contributes to the hilarious fun.
While Borrower keep Killerdemons to a concise 36 minutes, the record stumbles on the two songs that exceed the 3-4 minute range. The first, “Knocking on the Coffins,” has some memorable riffs, including a cool, old-fashioned solo, but at over five minutes, it runs a little long. Placed between the two best tracks on the album, it also proves to significantly reduce momentum. The biggest drawback, however, is the six-plus-minute finale, “A Chaos Vortex.” Not only does it lack memorable riffs, but it falters in its last two minutes, as the band misjudges when it’s best to conclude. Cutting 2-3 minutes from each of these songs would have significantly improved the album’s otherwise incredible pace.
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As I found last month, metal tends to attract some strange characters, and the murderous universe of demons created here is certainly strange. But that’s also what makes metal so much fun. Bands feel free to try out their unusual ideas, from themes inspired by literature or video games to creating fictional or scientific fields. And sometimes those ideas really work. Borrower finally sees through his vision, or at least its beginning, and presents it in such a catchy, cool way. I love seeing original ideas executed with so much care and passion, and I hope these guys continue to cultivate their ideas and musical talents.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Releases worldwide: February 13, 2026
The review was done by Angry metal guy.
https://www.angrymetalguy.com/borrower-killerdemons-review/
