Review by JD on May 29, 2018.

Mexican metal is a big deal, as they strive to become heavier and meaner with each band that comes out.  Demonic Manifestation is one of these bands, and they are bringing 90’s styled Swedish death metal to the table.

This western Mexico quintet formed in 2012, and set out to bring forth their take on the whole Swedish DM of the early 90’s.  Harsh and intentionally guttural, they made a name for themselves redefining this genre of metal and adding in their own dosages of pure mayhem and destruction with each blasting beat and pounding drum. The World of Horror album as a whole is good, and having some fire to them as well, yet some parts seem to get lost in the ferocity – and this seems to stay relatively the same through tracks.  There are amazing tracks scattered among the 10 songs offered up, the jewels among the same-old rocks in the metallic pond. Crematory and Funeral Fuck are stellar tracks that showcase brutal DM done good, while the oddly titled Zombiechrist has some wicked lyrics, but overly generic riffs kill them outright. Some bad recording choices also has a big impact on it all.

It is nothing new, nothing ground-breaking – and yet, it is mainly enjoyable to listen to. It is an average album which seems to hint that the band may get better and better with each release they offer up… but as of now stands a tiny bit better than average, and hoping it does not drown under the waters of DM mediocrity.

Rating: 6.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 28, 2021.

I remember the day I saw the advertisement of Shrapnel Records in one of the first magazines of the German Metal Hammer. Trauma: Scratch and Scream! Hexx: No Escape! Griffin: Flight of the Griffin! And last but not least: Chastain: Mystery Of Illusion! I suddenly realized that this was an outstanding moment in my metal fan existence – four power/speed metal albums in one swoop. Four! Four! What an almost surreal number back in 1984. Okay, today we get four new interesting metal albums every hour, but this was quite different almost 40 years ago. The only problem was these distant jewels were not licensed in Germany and to buy imports was a very expensive business for a pupil like me who was chronically short of cash.

Well, today all these albums have found their way to my metal buddy and me and Chastain’s debut sounds still fresh, honest and, sorry for that, slightly narcissistic every now and then. It was the time of guitar heroes and David was obviously a fan of his own solos. Apart from the soft beginning, his (surely virtuoso) guitar solo is the rather average part of 'I Fear No Evil', an actually strong track. Due to its straight and direct design, it hits the bull’s eye. But after all, it’s not David who gives the album its most characteristic feature. This is, of course, Leather’s ingenious voice. She was and still is the best female voice in metal. She sounds powerful, but still like a woman and not like a man or a dog with sore throat (greetings to Holy Moses in this context). Moreover, leather does every song justice, her vocals are flexible, and they reinforce the individual atmosphere of each and every tune.

38 years after its first release, Mystery Of Illusion is a document of an early, original kind of power metal with some speed metal ingredients. Some galloping guitars show up, some up-tempo parts increase the dynamic. Chastain writes in the line notes that the musicians were heavily influenced by Dio and Sabbath, but when listening to the record, it gets quickly clear that they were able to transform their inspirations into something of their own. The material has a profound heaviness, it avoids an overly radio-friendly number and stands on its own feet. Additionally, the production puts all instruments and, of course, Leather’s contribution into the right light. Given these facts, it’s no surprise that the debut has withstood the test of time, even though it does not hold the best songs of the band, at least in my humble opinion. Especially 'The Black Knight', the opener that Chastain calls the “hit” of the album, kicks off the album in a rather ordinary way.

Anyway, there are no real downers as well and the four-piece masters the balladic sequences as well as the heavy parts. For those who do not know the material so far, I recommend lending an ear to the representative title track with its emotional beginning, the typical Chastain riffing, the surprisingly present bass guitar, the well-designed chorus and naturally Leather's brilliance. The more I listen to this track or the speedy 'I've Seen Tomorrow', the more I think it’s time for a little Shrapnel Records retro session.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10