As a new year ushers in new nightmares, art counters with menacing mechanisms for catharsis and a spillways for aggravation. Norfolk, VA's Demons return with their blistering second full length, Privation, a distorted and aggressive contribution to a collective ringing of alarms amidst destructive times. Drawing from the spirit of band's like Metz, Gulch, Converge, Propagandhi, the Demons crew punishingly delivers ten tracks of raw and confrontational fury, motivated from within a spiraling sociopolitical landscape that evokes critical self-reflection and frustration. On Privation, Demons has found even more synchronization, with a set of songs that are self-described as "more focused," "a little more punk rock," and "just better." While a seemingly simplistic account, the description holds true in all the best ways. Fans of the previous full-length and EPs will find solace in a continuation of form with Privation, but with the dials all turned further clockwise -- louder, faster, tighter, and more urgent.