Sempiternal Esoterica

Phlebotomy - Voluptuous... (1994)

2012-02-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Gothic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Voluptuous Simplicity of the Line
2. One Thousand Times
3. A Dreamer Can Touch the Sky

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What. Is this still Phlebotomy? I'll admit, I had to do a double take, and check out On Thorns I Lay to see if this was still the same band... Sure enough, a few of these songs were used on their first full-length. With the name change most certainly came a drastic change in style. I sort of knew this was coming after their EP, but hey, what can you do, especially since this all went down in the mid 90s.

This would be a good demo, had it been a different band playing different music. I was almost shocked to hear this, so naturally, it didn't sit too well. The production value has been cranked way up; these guys must've started getting serious about the music they were playing and the direction they wanted to take. A lot has changed, most notably the vocals. My ears may be deceiving me, but it looks as if all male vocals were scrapped in favor of a variety of female vocals ranging from singing to harsh whispering (haha), to the occasional shriek.

The goth was turned up as well; however, still retaining the atmosphere from the previous releases, if not chippered up a bit with extravagant use of synths and flutes and other instruments. A lot of that spacey atmosphere has been lost in return for production. It was probably a good idea that they changed name, because what they do now just isn't Paralysis/Phlebotomy.

Phlebotomy - Dawn of Grief (1993)

2012-01-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Born To Suffer
2. As the Sky Turns Black

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Much better production; about time these guys got signed to a label! Two songs here and the first is an old favorite from their promo tape, "Born to Suffer". The cheesy intro and exit bits that I pointed out in the Promo Tape review are removed to allow focus to fall on the song itself without any distractions or wtf moments. Not so sure if I'm a fan of the production... it is better, but it also gives the EP a "tinny" feel, especially with the scratchy guitars and glowering synths. Everything is better balanced, though; vocals and drums are further up front and this EP certainly sounds more complete.

New song! Looks like this marks the point where Phlebotomy are turning away from their doomy sound, and onto something a little more intense. Synths galore are still present all over the place, but female vocals are kicked up a few more notches, seemingly going even with the harsh vocals. Everything is faster-paced and almost industrial. This song marks the band's transition to a new style that you will see in "Voluptuous..."

Phlebotomy - Promo Tape (1993)

2012-01-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Intro
2. Our Golgotha Before The Beauty Of Our Death
3. Born To Suffer
4. Stories Of The Internal Of My Grave (Parts I and II)

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A classical intro... that's more like it! Immediately, I know I can expect the same style Paralysis got me hooked on, and I can't be more excited. In the same vein as the previous demo: occult synthesizers saturating the air, accompanied by subtle melodic fringes keep this music fresh and engaging. Clean vocals are introduced here and there, serving to add more to the arcane atmosphere. Melodic, acoustic interludes are spackled throughout to break up the lengthy songs.

Gloomy, dark, and highly atmospheric, the tracks on this demo are oddly entrancing, especially on "Born to Suffer" with the inclusion of mystical flowing female vocals. This is great music to reflect on pretty much anything you want. "Born to Suffer" brings us back to reality with a grim intro assailing the listener with machine gun fire and an old school Hellenic riff, yet takes us away again above the clouds, only to yank us back down with that key riff and marching drums. Not too clear how exactly those effects tie in, but it does add to the variety to make things interesting.

The synthesizers are used to great extend, with myriad sound effects such as the aforementioned, but also some new ones like fire crackling and wind blowing. They were going for atmosphere with this one, and Phlebotomy certainly hit the nail on the head! Deep, booming production presides, collapsing the very atmosphere above down on us. Recommended.

Paralysis (Grc) - Beyond The Chaos (1992)

2012-01-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Your Life... My Death
2. Born to Suffer
3. Dark Reality

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Multiple name changes here. These guys started out at Paralysis, changed to Phlebotomy in 1993, and finally to the well-known On Thorns I Lay in 1995. This is their first demo, and it really sets the stage for the successful career they've sculpted.

Right out of the box, the mood is set with the eerily disturbing intro. A monologue of sorts, littered with creepy, spacy synths. "Please let me go; I don't want to die..." The same feel is translated through the rest of the demo. I'm hesitant to call it "epic", but it does have a very mysterious and foreboding tone to it all. I feel like The Outsider in Lovecraft's famous early work. Not knowing where I'm going or what I'm going to find, I just keep climbing... the future will reveal itself to me. What will I discover beyond the chaos?

Melody abounds and heavy use of synthesizers aids in the atmosphere surrounding the chaos. Very deep and mystical-sounding, this is like an adventure through your mind. Eerie flute-sounding instruments are used, sprinkled with dangerously-close guitars make this a unique and fascinating listen. Recommended!

Simply Death - Crucification (1996)

2012-01-26T22:35:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. Crusade To Eden
2. Born In Black Blood
3. We Survive
4. Crucification
5. Claustrophobia
6. The Blessing

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Silly name, I know. Regardless, this is still worth a listen! Opening with a simple organ intro and leading into slow, churning, doomy goodness, this demo takes its time getting started. These guys are in no hurry to get things rolling, and it works well with the sound of this demo. The pace does pick up, though, as the doom wears off and the death kicks in. This is a very short demo, and I feel like it's not quite "whole". Had the band not split up so soon, I could see some more depth coming out of their music.

Very similar in sound to Morbid Angel, it's pretty obvious where inspiration was sound. Rasping vocals and that same soft and flowing musical style. Nothing too abrasive on the ears... about as pleasant as death metal gets! Most songs are fairly short, which leaves a lot to be desired, but hey, this is a demo! A "demonstration"! Keep an ear out for the last track, "The Blessing", as it boasts too quick of a catchy intro/exit riff.

Eroded (Jpn) - IN (1994)

2012-01-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal/Grindcore

Year: 1994

1. Blind Line
2. Eternal Corridor
3. Existence
4. Digital
5. IN
6. Monotone
7. Spiral-Staircase
8. Behind
9. Freestanding
10. Turning Time

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A MUST LISTEN! I posted Eroded's first demo some time ago, and expressed my shock at the brilliance from what was an entirely obscure band, and now we all finally have the privilege of listening to what promises to be the outstanding culmination of all the effort and potential oozing from their first release. You're in for a treat, that's for sure.

I'm noticing that this is far beyond a simple music album. This is a story. This is life. This goes to show how deep death metal can be. Demo 92 was highly intense death metal/grindcore showing no mercy, and that's exactly how this album starts off, with several fast-paced, brutal songs kicking it into overdrive, saturating the listener's perception of everything around them, and unrelentingly grasps a hold of his attention. My guess is that these were older songs written back in the Demo 92 days.

"Existence" is where we start to see a change of direction. It's subtle, and you have to be listening closely to pick up on it, but a touch of melody shines through, buried under the grinding guitars and snarling vocals. Clean vocals make an appearance in the background and some atmosphere is quietly laced around the edges. Incredibly well-done. "Digital" continues this transition... but to what? Eroded starts to shy away from the Grindcore right about now with the integration of Doom elements. If you didn't pick up on what those two tracks were trying to tell you, "IN" breaks it all loose with a gorgeous instrumental tune bursting with melody, yet somehow still retaining the essence of Eroded.

A very segmented album, and I'll try to wrap this up soon, but damn, there is so much going on in this profound release. Doom becomes the travelled path for the next few tracks until, you guessed it, another segment is hit! Tracks 8 and 9 pick up the pace a little more and actually take on what sounds to me like Hardcore fringes, especially noted in the screaming/yelling vocal style.

The last song is the perfect representation of Eroded and the distance they've come. Elements from the entire album are brought together here in this 7 minute song, concluding IN quite nicely. Eroded has definitely changed since their beginnings, taking a more melodic and progressive route, but at the same time, creating astounding musical brilliance that will not only appeal to the die-hard fans of their demo, but to anybody interested in metal at all.

So highly recommended.

Condolence - Pernicious Segregation (1990)

2012-01-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1990

1. Untitled I
2. Untitled II
3. Untitled III
4. Untitled IV
5. Untitled V
6. Untitled VI

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I honestly wish I knew a little more about these guys. Somehow, a rip of Pernicious Segregation surfaced on the internet (I believe we have Drowned to blame), but no song titles, demo art, or anything. It's a shame, because this is a surprisingly well-produced demo. There's a lot going on here and I'm shocked to see them go nowhere. Perhaps it was other projects that drove their attention from Condolence...

I'm hesitant to call this Doom/Death Metal, because, while it does ring with doomy elements, there are a fair amount of straight-up pounding OSDM sections, allowing for a lot of freedom with what they want to do. The production is crystal clear-sounding; almost TOO clear... there has to be more to this band that we don't know. Alternating between the furious drumming/riffing/soloing and slower-paced segments, this demo is mixed very well. Opening and closing with an eerie demonic voiceover, and track three is a nice acoustic interlude thrown in there to break things up a bit. Not a dull moment here; an enjoyable listen.

Chamber of Dismay - Dark Clouds (1993)

2012-01-20T16:30:00.001-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Intro
2. Forgotten Woods
3. Simerion Winter

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From the obscure depths of Finland (and where it's likely to remain) is Chamber of Dismay. Not much is known about this band; not even the names of the band members! It's too difficult to discern their names from the only tiny scan on the internet... so please, if anybody has any information regarding this band, come forward! Just wanna give credit where credit is due. :)

On to the music. A relatively quick demo here; hardly a sampler of this low-key, melodic Doom/Death Metal. This is the only demo from these guys, and it was likely a side project of some sort that never got off the ground. Two songs and a demo, and unfortunately they suffer from poor production; way too much bass in the background and everything seems far back in the mix. I occasionally describe music as "suffocating", but I suppose this is the true definition of the word. Could definitely use a remaster and re-release!

As previously mentioned, there is a fair amount of melody here, similar to Cauteror. A single, lonely guitar breaks loose from the filth and grime, making this an almost sorrowful demo. Not terribly much in the way of song structure, and the songs can get a little long without variation, but the riffs are pleasant, and I'd go as far as to classify this under the "easy listening" category of Doom/Death Metal. It's quick, it's simple.

Ruminations - Rehearsal Demo (2011)

2012-01-16T21:39:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2011

1. Leafs
2. Emptiness Departured
3. Luminescent Twilight Re-Dreamed

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I suppose this is an OSDM blog, and I rarely post newer music, but this is just too good to go unnoticed. Plus, it has a very old school sound, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought this was from the mid-90s!

This is a rehearsal, so the production isn't the best, but it actually works in the band's favor. Underproduced and raw, this is a full-on assault on the ears is the very best way possible. The first song, "Leafs" is short and to the point, and more straight-up death metal oriented than the following tracks; it serves quite nicely to snap the listener's attention completely on this absorbing music.

The vocals are deep, growled gutturals set far back in the mix, to the point where they're nothing but a dull roar occasionally peaking out beyond the murk and filth that are the guitars. Monstrous and full-sounding, the suffocating guitars cast an unforgiving darkness out, enveloping anything and everything in their path, creating some of the most engaging and occult-sounding gloomy DOOOOM. My ears are also detecting traces of The Chasm, notably in the second track, sorrow abounding. Very visceral in its dark reflections of esoterica and affliction. Recommended.

For those interested, Carlos from Ruminations is offering free copies of this demo tape. Shoot him an email at ruminations@mail.com with an address if you'd like one.

Ruminations at Facebook (and here)

Withering Divinity - Tragical Endings (1994)

2012-01-14T20:30:00.002-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Into the Darkness
2. Devil's Watching Me
3. Chaos Curse
4. Innocence
5. Pretend in Vain

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Dark Millennium. I'm sorry, but upon first listen to this obscure demo, only one thought rang out inside my head and that was Dark Millennium. The musical style is a little rawer and less produced, but the vocalist sounds exactly like Christian Mertens. I had to do a double take at the vocalist and look him up on Metal Archives to see if it was the same guy. Holy shit, the similarity is uncanny. I rather liked the higher Dark Millennium vocals (liked Torsten's, too), so I instantly took a fond liking to this demo.

Opening with a subduded, haunting intro, we then move onto "Devil's Watching Me", starting off with a catchy bass tune that sets the riffing style of the rest of the song. As the guitar's kick in, Christi- er, Scott's harsh vocals unleash, very pained and agonized. Hell, I would be, too, if the Devil was watching me. The rest of the demo follows suit, alternating pounding Death Metal parts, but throwing in some doom n' gloom here and there, coupled with creepy clean vocals.

"Innocence" is an oddly uplifting, mesmerizing instrumental tune, unlike the previous two songs, probably preparing you for the final and longest song, "Pretend in Vain". This one's a trip. A sort of culmination of this release, there's a bit of everything here. Opening with eerie spoken words outlined by a similarly subdued bass line like the intro, the sun slowly begins to peer through the clouds, yet not fully committing, probably due to the (anti)religious lyrical content. Sounds like a different band at this point until the metal kicks in. Overall a great concluding track, except for maybe the mariachi bit at the end, but hey. Seriously, what the fuck.

Recommended.

Caarcrinolas - The Egg (1994)

2012-01-12T22:39:00.002-05:00

Genre: Experimental Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. ?
2. Anal Feast
3. Milted
4. Mucus

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Okay, sit down, you're gonna need something to support yourself for this wacked out demo. "Experimental" only begins to graze the surface of the music found in Caarcrinolas's "The Egg". An obscure release from the depths of France; not much is known about these guys aside from their sole, enigmatic demo presented in the most bizarre and otherworldly manner manner possible, while still retaining the elements of Death Metal.

"?" opens up with, well, what you'd expect. Confusion? Uncertainty? Suffice to say a soulless, unforgiving ominous, almost creepy sound perturbs all who listen. Setting the scene with an eerie atmosphere, this song sets the precedent for the rest of the demo. Oddly enough, the guitars come out in full force, with meticulous and clean riffing, albeit done in a wonky, unusual way riddled with strange time changes and huge leaps in creative genius that some might see as mere noise. It'll take a dedicated and open-minded ear to fully enjoy this demo.

Synthesizers are used heavily, as to be expected in anything labeled "experimental". It's almost like Caarcrinolas grabbed an electronic keyboard and just started randomly pushing the sound effect buttons to see what worked at what didn't. I'm hearing hints of mandolins, accordions, organs and other weird noises scattered throughout. However, it's all done in moderation, letting the guitars and vocals do their Death Metal thing. I wouldn't quite call this Avant-Garde, as they really do make an effort to stick to their DM guns, but it's definitely going to be something you haven't heard before. And for that, I gotta go ahead and recommend this.

Gothic Castle - Closer to Roots (1996)

2012-01-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

Gothic Castle circa 1996

Genre: Doom Metal

Year: 1996

1. Snakes Under Flowers
2. Moonlace
3. Estrangement
4. In the Heart of the Ruins

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I've been unable to locate Gothic Castle's "The Odd" demo, but this is their third release and displays what appears to be an about face in their music style. I've always thought of this demo as Death/Doom in instrumentation, but Traditional Doom in vocal style. Some might say these elements clash and while I do agree with them, it still makes for a very engaging listen that should not go ignored.

This is a very different release from "In The Chared Cradle". You'll notice an increase in pacing, with a wider variety of up-beat and lively riffing, as well as much shorter song lengths. Hell, this entire four-song demo is just a minute or two longer than their first demo, which was only one song. They've opted to do this, I presume, to make the demo more accessible than the first and easier to listen to. That's not to say the first is bad; it's an excellent release in its own right.

So, what about the vocals? I'm not sure if they got a new vocalist, or if the growler decided to try his hand at melodic clean vocals (probably the former), but it definitely makes for an interesting listen. It's basically your classic trad doom vocal style, wavering in that operatic way. One thing I found curious is that the vocals seem to be sung at a much quicker rate than the music being played. This doesn't sound like it should work, but I found the songs oddly catchy and invigorating. Certainly worth your time! Look out for the last song; great riff! Recommended.

Unknown Band - Unknown Track (????)

2012-01-08T21:46:00.004-05:00

No artwork

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: Unknown

1. Unknown Track

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NOTE: This was previously mislabeled as Gothic Castle's "In The Chared Cradle" demo. This is incorrect and it has been confirmed that this is NOT even Gothic Castle at all.

If anybody has any information regarding this track, leave a comment!

Whoever the fuck this band is, they were going for pure DOOM. Very dark and gritty-sounding, the production suffers slightly with scratchy guitars, but it works oh so well for this style of music. One word to describe this demo is "deliberate". Very slow-paced and controlled, this one song demo starts off with an almost march beat, slowly but surely plodding on, making sure everything stays together in one place. A sharp, purposeful riffs breaks out a minute or so in and holds for the rest of the song, steadily building off its solid foundation. Things start picking up at about the six minute mark and we're soon hit with another core riff; yet another piece to this concrete puzzle. Alternating between soulful riffing and frigid drilling, we also have a few doomy solos thrown into the mix sounding of cries of desperation and anguish.

The vocals are dirty and harsh to the max. Cold as winter, there is no respite in these words as they match the sound of the guitars in their unforgiveness. Ocassional clean vocals break out in traditional Russian (?) style, well-placed to bridge the 13 minute song.

This demo sounds like it was recorded in the early 90s, but again, that's just speculation.

Threnodist - The Vomitous Demo (1991)

2012-01-07T22:34:00.000-05:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. Launched into Eternity
2. Lamentation of the Dead
3. Infernal Diatribe
4. Pukus
5. Tyrannicide

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Fans of Infester and their absolutely cult album To the Depths... In Degradation will jump at this demo, recorded by who Infester used to be... Threnodist.

Crunchy and forward in its production and presentation, this demo is host to a slew of infectious riffs that doesn't let up until the end. I wouldn't call this all that thrashy, as their are some slower-paced almost doomy sections, but the piercing nature of the guitars ingrains every riff into your head, sawing your brain into pieces. Not quite chainsaws, but more like chopsaws. Almost rigid in the style of Death Metal, The Vomitous Demo is a very enforcing release. Combined with the extended riffing sessions without vocals, you'll be left hypnotized and captivated.

Vocals are pretty standard deep, throaty gutturals that are used minimally and set back into the mix to allow the guitars to step up. The growls aren't all that fast, and more drawn out, drifting in and out of the music, meshing unbroken with the guitars to great effect. Fast and furious at times, this is a full on Death Metal release, paving the way for Infester's brilliance. Recommended.

Asphyxia (Irl) - Conflagration (1990)

2012-01-06T23:42:00.001-05:00

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal

Year: 1990

1. D.P.O.S. (Intro)
2. The Craving
3. Conflagration
4. Symptoms of Suffering

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A lot of you have probably heard of of the Irish Morphosis; well, this is what Morphosis used to be. A rather early Death Metal release from 1990 with some Thrash tendencies, it is a very impressive demo for the time.

Song lengths average a jaw-dropping eight minutes, which was unheard of for a thrashy-type band at the time, so you can expect the song structures here to be well-thought out and carefully pieced together. I know I've mentioned thrash a few times, but this demo leans more toward the Death Metal side of the spectrum with gritty, deathy production and rasping Kreator-esque vocals. Expect myriad long, plodding riffing sections, giving some of the songs, especially "The Craving" a sort of entrancing feel, very easy to get sucked into. This style works quite well for the demo as a whole, and it feels hearty and full. There are a fair amount of solos to break up the songs, drawing on its thrash influences, as well as quick-paced, energetic riffing to keep things lively, despite its long-winded nature. A few production issues sprinkle throughout, like on "Conflagration" where the sound dips in and out, but for the most part, it's produced well for a 90s demo, certainly listenable.

Makrothumia - The Rit of Individuation (1997)

2012-01-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

Genre: Progressive Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1997

1. A Sense-Alization of Your Own-Not-Owned (Your Own Interior Own)
2. Conquering the Lack of Relations... the Vague... to Unify
3. An Interior Autonom Structurality (To Protect... to Deceive... Protecting?)
4. The Need (Appearing Yourself Through into the Other)
5. The Archetypes (Patterns of Behaveor)
6. The Spirituality of the Prostitution (Masculin Domination Against Alterity)
7. Celebrating Thee (A Drowing Down the Sun Ritual)
8. Sinagogic Curse

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The first thing you'll notice is the absurdly long and complex song names a la Demilich, but let me promise you, you're in for a fantastic treat with this Romanian gem. Makrothumia has gained some attention in the past few years, and for damn good reason. Who ever heard of Romania producing good music?

Progressive is the defining genre descriptor here. There is so much shit going on, and it is orchestrated to perfection. The song structures are byproducts of creative brilliance and musical genius. The music--nay, ART here knows no bounds and the band members took every liberty in pushing the limits of metal to cultivate a seamless blend of doom, death, and technicality. Thick, luscious bass, in both guitars and percussion, saturate throughout, giving The Rit of Individuation a beautifully flowing sound. On paper, the album should be jagged rapids, but somehow culminates in a smooth, flawless estuary, opening its waters into a massive, expanding ocean of intricate, meticulous elegance.

Truly a release for the ages... monstrous in its presentation, fastidious in its attention to detail. Resonant and epic in every sense of the word, with tight riffs and inspired melodies to complement the omnipresent, mellifluent vocals. If you can't tell by now, this comes very highly recommended.

Internal Putrefaction - What Prophets Foretold (1997)

2012-01-04T20:10:00.005-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1997

1. The Rudiments In Dm (Intro)
2. When Trepedation Turns Into A Qualm
3. Public Ceremony
4. Metaphisical Awaiting
5. Lacerated Stigmatization
6. Aqua Tofana
7. The Age Of Enlightenment (Outro)

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Beginning with an eerie, foreboding, and almost majestic intro (could this be what the prophets foretold?), we're quickly lead into fast and furious riffing that doesn't let up until the exact midpoint of the second track with a desperate call out to the heavens. From this stage on, a more melodic direction is taken with impressive riffing and enveloping song structure.

Not too sure if this is a concept demo or what, but I certainly like it. Church bells ring, surrounded by confused religious cries with atmospheric melodies scattered throughout. What Prophets Foretold has a unique sad sound, separating itself from the rest of the pack for a refreshing and intoxicating listen.

With a name like Internal Putrefaction, this is the absolute last type of music I expected... but it works exceedingly well. I haven't been able to track down their 1991 demo (somebody hook me up!), but I'd take a gander that it's down and dirty Death Metal, more deserving of its name. However, this 1997 effort has a very mature sound, deeper and more meaningful than any ol' DM band. Not sure where these guys went wrong after this demo, but I'm sad they did, because they've got talent. Recommended.

Misericordia (Rus) - The Microbiological Revolution (1996)

2011-12-31T00:46:00.000-05:00

Genre: Technical Death/Thrash Metal

Year: 1996

1. The Microbiological Revolution
2. Acetone
3. The Intrauterine Suicide
4. My Dream
5. Post-Alcoholic Depression
6. The Subjugation Of Reason
7. Epilogue

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Microbiological Revolution, eh? That's some pretty heavy stuff (for a death metal band!); definitely worth a look. The complex song titles also seemed a bit out of the ordinary, drawing me even closer to what is the definition of a "hidden gem". My preconceptions were spot-on; this is one hell of a damn impressive demo, far ahead of its time, displaying a technical prowess unlike the rest of whence it spawned.

It was hard to put my finger on it at first, but the more I listened, the more the music screamed at me... "DEATH". There is an uncanny similarity to later Death, specifically The Sound Of Perseverance. But hold the phone--wasn't that released after The Microbiological Revolution? Oh shit.

What really struck me was the intensity and strength of the song structures. The whole demo weaves together spectacularly, combining Thrash elements with fast-paced passages ripping with technical riffs and Death-esque guitar solos, but also slows down to a more classic OSDM plodding when appropriate. Fantastic incorporation of ambient/atmospheric overtones saturating the already deep and penetrating grip this demo has on you. Vocals are nothing special, but solid old school growls. In fact, I wouldn't ask for anything else with this style of music. They are actually set a little further back in the mix, which was a good choice to allow the instrumentation a chance to shine, accentuating the technical brilliance these Russians present.

Yet another top-notch release from Mortal Dreams Productions... Recommended.

Carcaroht - Floating Souls (1994)

2011-12-28T13:19:00.002-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Intro/As The Gates Fall
2. I Precide To A New Existence
3. Untitled

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Here is the final release from Carcaroht, a repackaged Promo 94. This is the same thing, yet the production value is much higher. This has a very clean and clear sound, eliminating the muddiness and chaos from the promo. It's amazing how much better this sounds; they must've had a few bucks leftover.

Not entirely sure why this project didn't continue. It seemed like that with the quality of both the music and production, these guys would at least have an album in them, but I suppose they had bigger and better things to do. If you want to hear a little more about the music itself, just check out the Promo 94 post, linked above. Enjoy this one, but remember, if you want something with a little more grit, go for the promo!

Carcaroht - Promo 94 (1994)

2011-12-27T12:53:00.005-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Intro
2. As The Gates Fall
3. I Precide To A New Existence
4. Untitled

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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More than two years ago I promised to post this promo... haha. But hey, I'm good on my word! It's just a matter of when. Anyway, there seems to be a bit of confusion surrounding this promo. They released another demo in 1994 entitled Floating Souls that appears to be the same thing as this demo. They are actually different recordings, it's just that Floating Souls is better produced. This promo has a much fuller and heavier sound than the tinny Floating Souls, making this my release of preference. However, if you're looking for some production in your OSDM (ew), you'll want to head over to Floating Souls.

As previously mentioned, this is a very good-sounding demo, considering their relative obscurity. All members went on to participate in a fuckload of other bands, so I suppose this can be considered the guinea pig experiment that showcases their potential and skill. That's not to say you won't be blown away by this promo. It has a very full and suffocating sound, with fast and furious riffing in its most raw form. Solos are used to great effect, parting the dark stormclouds and letting in that ray of piercing light. "Untitled" holds a particularly powerful solo.

I'll post Floating Souls as well.

Goregod - Apocalypse Now (1996)

2011-12-24T22:47:00.001-05:00

Genre: Avant-Garde Industrial Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. Funeral Song
2. The Darkest Side of Reality
3. Mourne Country
4. Apocalypse Now
5. Dark Is the Future
6. 10000 Maimed Corpses
7. We Must Find a Way
8. Suprised Song
9. Warchaos

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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More of the same from these crazy fuckers. Somebody heard their wacko demo and thought it would be a great idea to sign them to a label (Mortal Dreams Productions). Fortunately, I know the guy responsible for this, so I'm just busting balls now. That said, this isn't a bad album! A bit on the unique side, but to the point where it's refreshing. The more I listen, the more it grows on me. Pretty sure I'm at the point where I like it!

It's a bit tamer than the demo, and with a much more holistic sound (thicker guitar tone, actual song structure, etc.). Very synth heavy and there's more of the industrial sound with some psychedelic elements, too. There is quite a range of styles all over this album. You've got your up-front, fast-paced Death Metal with the title track, a more chill and psychedelic approach with "We Must Find A Way", and probably my favorite track, "Darkest Side of Reality", which boasts an industrial, almost videogame-esque main riff. The same range of vocals is still present, and used quite well to create a thrilling listening experience that will keep you guessing what the hell will happen next.

Yurra Serov (the Mortal Dreams Productions guy of Different Seasons fame) is the reason I know about this band (and a few future posts), and he shared what I thought was one hell of a crazy story:

James A. Magda (AKA Jamz), the frontman had found himself in an interesting position at the time of this album's release. Right as Serov and Mortal Dreams Productions had made all the arrangements for the release of Apocalypse Now, and were about to print and distribute the album, Jamz's wife wrote, informing them that Jamz was dead. Killed in a fight, apparently. Get this, though... she also sent, along with the letter, the last song he recorded, entitled... "Make Me Dead". Holy shit.

Goregod - The Human Abstract (1994)

2011-12-24T10:39:00.001-05:00

Genre: Avant-Garde Industrial Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Pukes by Blood
2. The Human Abstract
3. World Is Shit
4. Sex Brutal Sex
5. White Is Right

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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This... this is something a little different that some of you might not exactly enjoy. Still, I found it to be quite interesting and it's not exactly "available", so I thought it couldn't hurt to post.

The demo opens with what sounds like a dark, twisted... jaw harp. That's right. A jaw harp. If you're looking for creativity in OSDM, the Russian Goregod "fits" the bill. The guitars are borderline acoustic-sounding and have a very unique "steely" kind of sound whose strums remind me of the music in horror movies, victims running wildly at top speed down endless, poorly lit, metallic hallways. The drums drive a lot of the tempo, yet somehow feel disconnected from the rest of the music. You'll find a multitude of vocals here, ranging from sputtering snarling to spoken word to commanding PA system authoritativeness.

This'll leave you with a nice "whatthefuckdidijustlistento" feeling!

Gruel - Gruel (2005)

2011-12-22T21:53:00.007-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2005

1. Corporeal Flesh Consume
2. Awaiting the Massacre
3. Cursed Desert Sand

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives Rating: 88% (2 reviews)
Purchase
Last.fm

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Credit to FeatherOfHuginn for turning me onto this gem shrouded in... obscurity? Point is, not enough people know about this, so here's my good-natured attempt at showing you all the light (er, dark).

The first thing that struck me was the top-notch recording quality. Who are these Swedish guys? I'm convinced this has to be some sort of side project of somebody or something, since most bedroom bands have less than desirable sound quality. Speculations aside, the material presented in these short 12 minutes simply oozes potential... certainly a direction any death metal band would be proud to embark upon.

The vocals stand out particularly, alternating between your classic death gutturals and a more demonic, gnashing angry growl, both of which meld beautifully with the skillful and aggressive guitars. Very riff-oriented, so if you like your death metal thick and engaging, with a guitar tone to die for, look no further... that is, until this quick demo ends...

Funeral Revolt - Γαία Υπερφιάλων Αθεμιστών (1994)

2011-12-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Γαία Υπερφιάλων Αθεμιστών

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Christos from Sanctorum sent me this exquisite promo demo years ago, and I see he has now posted it on Youtube, but I figured it could do with an "official" blog release! This is the original mp3, not that compressed Youtube crap (first guy who tells me mp3s are compressed gets my foot up their ass); this track deserves it!

Mind. Blown. Quite possibly one of my favorite songs with perhaps the most infectious Hellenic riff my ears have ever had the good fortune of absorbing. As the years passed, Funeral Revolt has dropped the dark, filthy sludgy guitar tone in favor of something with a little more vitality and vigor. It all comes together in this tiny demo released at the end of the first phase of Funeral Revolt, unfortunately.

From the beginning to the all-too-soon ending (even though the song is a solid 6 minutes long), the main riff will hold you to the edge of your seat, gripping your musical palate so tightly, you'll find yourself unable to do much of anything until the song has finished. I actually had to stop listening to this song long enough to write this review, as I would keep getting lost in the music and zoning out. Ripping double bass brings out the intensity of the riff at times, while female vocals rain down beauty, with tasteful solos the glue that brings it all together into a tight little package bursting at the seams that'll leave anyone begging for more... sadly it won't come.

Enjoy this one, folks. You'll get quite some replay value from this gem. Recommended.

Funeral Revolt - Burial (1991)

2011-12-19T17:55:00.010-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. Burial
2. Fly Beyond
3. Lamentation
4. Concealment of Truth
5. Solitude

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I figured the best place to begin again would be precisely where I left off, so here we have another EP from the dynamic Funeral Revolt! To those who have been following this blog for the past year (ololol), you've listened to Brutality Domain. That was a very gritty, dirty-sounding demo, and Funeral Revolt have cleaned up their act rapidly (two drastically different sounding demos in one year?) with their latest offering.

The first thing that struck me was how well the first three tracks meshed together. Hell, this could have been a short and sweet EP with just those songs and you wouldn't find me complaining. I'll treat the other two as an added bonus! "Burial" starts off as an eerie, synthetic dark ambient track that I'll refer to as the "inhale". The "exhale" comes with "Lamentation", the perfect acoustic closing act to the expansive and powerful "Fly Beyond".

The entire demo is very riff-heavy, and you can begin to see the roots of Funeral Revolt's embrace of the distinct Hellenic riffing style. Synths are used much more on this release, leading to an atmospheric and ancient-sounding aura, clashing surprisingly well with the guttural destruction inherent in all Death Metal. I get the vibe of controlled chaos (if that even makes sense) throughout this release, every song flitting on the edge of pandemonium, yet somehow confined in the boundaries of order through methodical solos and pinpoint drumming.

Pleasantly surprised, considering the previous demo's style. Recommended.

Resurrected

2011-12-19T17:25:00.003-05:00

Well, shit. I'm back. Hopefully to stay!

First things first, just wanted to apologize to all those who read and enjoy this blog, only to find that I disappeared off the face of the e-earth without any warning or notification.

~~Then again, I don't even really have to apologize to you fuckers, since this is the internet!~~

Ahem, but seriously, just had a few things to take care of, some shit to straighten out, and now I am going to make a conscious effort to continue this blog. I'm a bit out of the underground (hell, music in general) loop so forgive me until I get caught back up to speed. Studying Engineering certainly takes a toll on hobbies and entertainment, but I've really missed music and can think of no better way to get back into it than kick-starting one of my proudest internet feats. ~~Haha, like internet fame means anything.~~

See you all in the warmer side of Hell.

Funeral Revolt - Brutality Domain (1991)

2010-11-14T17:43:00.001-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. Collective Carbonization
2. Interminable Excruciation
3. Brutality Domain

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I thought I'd post some stuff from Funeral Revolt, seeing as this stuff is quite sought after, and so I'll begin with their 1991 release Brutality Domain. Unfortunately, I don't have their first demo, Homicidal Society, and I can't find much information on it other than the link at Metal Archives, so it's hard to tell if it even exists! If anybody's got it, send it this way! Thanks!

Anyway, this is nothing like the industrial direction they've gone in of late, so if you were turned off by their recent stuff, you've no need to look any further than the next couple of posts here! Present on this demo is raw Death Metal in the utmost old-school fashion. Sometimes bordering on the doomy, slow side of things, while speeding up at other times, when combined with the longer song structures, expect some well-thought out songs. Solos are used throughout, sometimes several in a single song, but they are not overdone or wanky in any way; always done to ADD to the song, and never to take away. Yes, I have problems with solos in songs. Too much wank, not enough music! Oho! Probably why I hate Thrash... ANYWAY, back to the demo.

There's nothing special about the vocals, but they are decent gutturals that complement the songs quite nicely, meshing well with that classic Greek Hellenic riffing style. Watch out for their 1994 promo, that shit's got some crazy riffing!

Natural Fear - Beyond Eternity (1992)

2010-11-13T17:43:00.001-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Intro/Souless Traitoration
2. Beyond Eternity

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Even more rare stuff from Greece! This is the only demo that I know of released by Natural Fear. I really like this demo. It's very short, but oh so sweet with two different styles of songs. Both start off with a far-off, distant-sounding introduction riff, leading into a mix of chunky and serene-like Death Metal with heavy use of synths. It sounds like it could go the brutal route, but then tapers off into spacey synths reminding me of the dark night sky, clear with stars spackling the heavens.

The second song sounds VERY familiar, especially the opening riff, and if any of you can pinpoint what this sounds like, I'll give you a cookie. It could just be my imagination, though! This track seems a bit darker and more foreboding than the other, and has a set, slow to mid-paced assault that doesn't let up, the drums pounding near the back, getting closer and closer and closer... Strangely enough, it's an almost calming style of Death Metal; difficult to explain.

Regardless, this one's only about six minutes long, so you could listen to this hidden gem twice in the time it takes to shower! Get it!

EDIT: Bingo! The familiarity comes from The Chasm... specifically "In Superior Torment". Interestingly enough, this demo came out years before Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph...

Lamentations - Promo 1993 (1993)

2010-10-24T18:48:00.002-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Forbidden Unacceptable Suicide
2. Lamentations
3. Reborn for Dying
4. Infamous Death

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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This time from France, let's focus on something that hasn't seen the light of day for many years. Not much is known of this band, and everything I know comes from the inlay... I'm sure they've released more; I mean, how could they not have, considering the quality of this promo!

The first thing I noticed about this demo was the production. It's not as clear and crisp as most stuff out there, but rather subdued and "soft". Obviously, this is a huge contradiction, considering it's full-on Death Metal, but I feel that it's a little smoother, which is great!

Again with the atmospheric tinges, these guys know how to build up a song, constructing it the way songs are meant to be constructed (see: "Reborn for Dying"). I always love it when Death Metal bands extend their songs over the average 3-4 minute mark, because, more often than not, we're left with experimentation, and opportunities to slow down the fury and create a better song. The first song here is your standard Death Metal, but then the band progresses with some dynamite riffing and song structure. This is some involving and complex stuff, so don't miss out!

Dismaed - Messages From The Place of The Dead (1995)

2010-10-23T18:25:00.008-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. Bleeding
2. Erebus
3. Aeternus Dark
4. Escaping Soul

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Another forgotten Hellenic band from the bowels of Greece, we have Dismaed. Some very atmospheric stuff is present here, sometimes melodic, sometimes straight-forward Death Metal with a punch. I'm sure most of you can recognize that classic Hellenic riffing style, heavy tremolo picking with higher pitched riffs that seem to be never-ending, saturating each song. In addition, there are spouts of synthesized melody to create eerie overtones in between vocal parts. This is used to great effectiveness in giving the atmosphere on Messages From The Place of The Dead a creepy feel akin to a place where you would find dead people! Ohoho! It sounds very spiritual and fits the imagery of the dead appearing before the living.

The pacing on this demo is particularly interesting, varying from slow, breakdown styled, deliberate riffing, to full-fledged, fast paced chaos, drums pounding away, the vocalist going crazy, and quick riffs galore. A very solid release and pretty damn rare, to boot!

Gotta give this one my seal of approval. "Aeternus Dark" is a fabulous song.

Sanctorum - Crystal Tears of Silence (1994)

2010-09-27T17:08:00.003-04:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Flight of the Dragons
2. Silent and Forgotten
3. Crimson Dawn

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Holy fuck! Not quite sure how I came across this breathtaking Doom/Death band, but after seeking out this magnificent demo, I was awestruck. The kids were young at the time of this recording, the youngest being 15 years old, but displaying truly mind-boggling talent and incredible metallian prowess. It's a crying shame that Greece's military policies forced this band to split up, as they show so much potential with this masterpiece.

Clocking in at 28:56, sit back and prepare yourself for a journey of monolithic proportions through the three songs presented here. I'm not calling these guys Atmospheric for nothing, and this demo just oozes aloof, spacey undertones in a very memorable fashion, leaving the melodies embedded in your mind for days after even a single listen. Some of the most inventive and well-structured riffing I've heard in a long time. Tremolo picking is key, yet the band somehow retains a doomy, crushing, overpowering sound. I feel I'm in the lone guy at the bottom of Beksinski's ominous valley, traversing this unknown territory, letting the music wash over me... a bit overproduced, further accentuating the suffocating atmosphere, wrapping the listener up in the music. Just wait until you're hit with the occasional interlude... beautiful. The way these songs are constructed just defies my preconceptions about metal in 1993. Needless to say, Sanctorum was way ahead of its time!

Bonus fun fact: the band initially had all three of these songs rehearsed for a total of 33 or so minutes, but unknowingly bought analog cassettes that only allowed for 30 minutes of recording! Whoops! So the band had to play all these songs faster.

This is Christos's (the drummer) Youtube channel if you'd like to see what he's up to, or contact him. Those of you who'd like to contact him directly via email, send me an email and I'll hook you up.

Note that the recordings here come directly from the drummer, Christos, at 320kbps, much better quality than the Youtube rip floating around now. Also, this is the correct artwork, the one with the red lettering is most likely fan made. Scans of the entire inlay are available in the .rar archive uploaded here!

Musica Eternal - De Tenebrae (1993)

2010-09-10T23:21:00.001-04:00

Genre: Death/Black/Electronic Metal

Year: 1993

1. Intro
2. Book Of The Dead Names
3. The Door Painted In The Sky
4. The Doom
5. Tenebrae
6. Nocturnal Eternal

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Here's something most of you probably haven't heard... and for good reason, too! Have you seen the genre description!? Fortunately, Musica Eternal does it well with some strange synthesized, drum-programmed Black/Death Metal. There are times where it seems more Black than others, but the Death does come out to play every so often, with the two styles fusing together quite fluently, making this a great success in experimentation, especially considering the time it was recorded at. They only released this one demo (maybe another), before disappearing forever.

The synths are used to a great extent on this demo, and have an eerily calming effect, amidst the metallic chaos everywhere else. Often cross-cutting (yes, I can describe music with film terms) between the synths and cutting guitars, great contrast is present, especially on the "Tenebrae" and "Nocturna Eternal" (best on the demo) track. Hell, there's even chanting and church bells going off! Truly a find from way out of left field, this is definitely something well worth listening to after taking a break from your traditional Black and Death Metal.

Strange... and highly intriguing...

Mutant Supremecy - Corpses in PIeces (2010)

2010-09-09T23:56:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2010

1. Morbid Dismemberment
2. Epitaph
3. Vermin
4. Lady Forlorn

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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One of the good folks over at Last.fm asked me to post this demo, so here I am, posting it! I gotta apologize, though, for the incredible lateness in not getting it posted before the album was released, but hey, I've been busy. Regardless, I am finally getting around to it, so be sure to give these new guys to the Death Metal scene a good listen as you shan't be disappointed!

Old School Death Metal, with some Black fringes, Mutant Supremacy (great name) plays a dark brand of down and dirty Death Metal, deep within the depths of hell for the lovely audience of Satan and his minions. A very good first demo, and, unlike the majority of crap I get sent to be posted, this is a high quality slab of metal, and in no way a shitty teenage garage band, so I'd recommend giving these guys a listen, paying close attention for their full-length "Infinite Suffering", which I may or may not post later.

Raw and evil, go go go!

Kvikksølvguttene - Gamlem (1997)

2010-09-08T23:24:00.004-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1997

1. Skullcrusher (Vomit cover)
2. Grave Violator
3. Violent Death

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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You all remember that old Norwegian Death Metal band from the mid to late 80s? Vomit? OF COURSE YOU DO. Well, this is an attempt by some of the members to reform the band, under a different name. Expect more jokes, but do not be discouraged, as this is very listenable music. The name Kvikksølvguttene means The Mercury/Quicksilver Boys, which is an ironic reference to the famous Norwegian choir called The Silverboys. Already, you know you're in for something good. ;)

Gamlem was the name of a Norwegian man who was beaten to death in a gay hate crime in Sofienberg Park in 1991, so despite the raucous nature of these guys, they're conscious enough to raise social awareness! Not quite sure what the intention was exactly since the music they're recording is rather violent in itself, but let's look on the greener side of things and assume it was in good nature! ;D

The music on this EP consists of three quick songs, the longest being the last, "Violent Death", and also includes a cover of the former band, Vomit, back in its glory days, the eerily catchy tune "Skullcrusher". Hell, most of the material here is just rehashed Vomit stuff, rewritten for new songs, as well as some unrecorded material left over. Great riffs to rock out to, and vocals old school to the bones; a bunch of guys making music for the hell of it, the way it should be!

Nightmare Visions - Blasphemy (1991)

2010-09-07T13:40:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Year: 1991

1. Intro
2. Blasphemous Dreams
3. Whispers of Death
4. Edge of Darkness
5. Genocide

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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The novelty long worn off, these guys have gotten serious about making music, even if it took them four years to record another demo. And hey, it actually sounds like metal!

Definitely a massive turnaround, compared to Prophecy, their pacing no longer sounds like classic rock, but a metal variant, with tempo changes and the like! Ohoho! The production is much better and sounds quite good, actually. The vocals are more of a smooth rasp, fitting the groove of the music, and while the riffing is very simple, it's catchy, and makes for good music. Not something to die for, but a good look at how bands can drastically evolve as the scene evolves.

Nightmare Visions - Prophecy (1987)

2010-09-06T13:27:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Year: 1987

1. Prophecy (Intro)
2. Nightmare Visions
3. Face the Executioner
4. Infantile Decay
5. The Last Nightmare
6. Fuck Off - No More - Fuck Off
7. Total Headfuck
8. Broken Corpse
9. Drunk and Abusive

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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This is definitely a novelty post. I don't know what's wrong with people (I am one of them), but they seem to eat up the very first incarnations of certain genres of metal, the case here being a fusion between Death Metal and Doom Metal, straying away from the Thrash-infused speed, but retaining the Death, not incorporating another existent genre, Doom!

Boring explanations aside, here we go! This is more like rock, but with dirty guitars and gnarly vocals. Most songs follow a slower, morbid beat, and can often be quite catchy! VERY primitive Death/Doom, if you ask me. However, this is another band that helped laid the groundwork for future metal! So cheers to them!

And how could you not like this shit, what with lyrics about blood pouring from babies' eyes!

Sectioned - Elme Promo (2007)

2010-09-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2007

1. Intro
2. Mirrors
3. My Love of Decay
4. Village of the Sun

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives Rating: 75% (2 reviews)
Last.fm

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Sectioned are a little-known band from Broadstairs, England. Fun fact: I actually misread their city name as Bloodstairs and was like "Oh man, this band is going to be awesome." Sadly, they are not from Bloodstairs, but their music is still awesome. The cover does have blood on it, which is fun, and helps describe the music inside. Also, my copy isn't color, like the MA picture I found... dunno what that's all about.

On to the music! I am particularly fond of this, considering it's just a promo. There's some damn fine quality present here, especially in the ambient interludes sprinkled throughout, helping to invoke contrast, giving the listener a break from time to time to enjoy those soundscapes.

It has that unpolished, crusty old school sound, nothing like your traditional modern Death Metal sound. Mid-paced tempo, sort of lumbering on, keeping up the assault at all costs. The vocals really stand out, ranging from the sputtering, lashing of a growling to lower gutturals, rounding out with hard-hitting riffing and an atmospheric vibe to it all. Even the solos sound eerily mystical; sorta reminds me of space or time or .

Can't wait to get my hands on their full-length!

Necropsy (Ger) - Some Dark Impressions (1991)

2010-09-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. Drown In Mortal Remains
2. Choir Of Depression
3. Incarnation

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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So I had this brilliant idea as I was making the previous post about Necropsy's first demo... why not post the second as well!? I know, brilliant, right?

I dunno, about a minute and a half into the first song, I got this overwhelming sense that I was listening to old Sepultura! The sound is somewhat similar; not too much, but I do notice the occasional similarity with riffing effects, guitar tone, and the fading in/out vocal style. A very curious listen, I'll say that much!

Necropsy hasn't changed much since their first demo, and if anything, have slowed down their music a tad, conforming to the heavier Death Metal crowd that was starting to form at this time. Again, good stuff if you want something simple and fun to listen to, with great solos!

Necropsy (Ger) - Pay With Your Life (1990)

2010-09-03T12:43:00.004-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1990

1. True Hallucinations
2. Zombiefication
3. Pay With Your Life
4. ...About Life
5. Morbid Trauma

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Yeah, so I've been lazy. My profoundest apologies. But not really, since this is the internet and I'll do as I damn well please. Regardless! I feel bad, so I'm gonna start posting again, even though it's 23897598 degrees outside and I'm sweating my ass off. But enough about me...

To kick things off (again), how about we take a look at something that most of you probably haven't had the chance to listen to? Here we have Germany's Necropsy with their first ever demo, entitled Pay With Your Life. They went on to release another EP, but that was it for this short-lived band.

Very down and dirty, a gritty style of play, these guys do it straightforward, so if you're ever tired of your Avant-Garde/Experimental hipster trash, why not give Pay With Your Life a whirl? Simplistic riffs with a guitar tone to kill for and classic old school vocals, this is a rip-roaring good time. Guitar solos are featured all over the place, at a decent pace, embracing the obvious Thrash influence, but with a darker appeal.

Go on, grab it!

Delirium - Amputation (1989)

2010-06-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Year: 1989

1. The Warrior
2. Menace The Unseen
3. Floods Of Intricate
4. Amputation

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Ah... the true colors of Delirium shine through with their second demo, Amputation. Finally they've settled into their sound, similar to early Celtic Frost and Asphyx. The production is miles better, but for me, the most notable difference between the first and this second demo was the vocals. Sure, it's the same guy, but he's obviously done some work (or maybe it's just the better production), but either way, these vocals sound much more... disgusting. Old school to the core, and absolutely fitting with the style of music presented here. Very energetic and full of life... delirious almost? Hah.

Most traces of Thrash have pretty much been thrown out the door, and all that's left is sludgy, dreary, plodding doom with an occasional solo. A much more evil sound is also found on Amputation, mainly due to the vocals, and the breakdowns are full of mouth-watering riffs, menacing and morbid in their omnipresent sound. Scratch what I said in the review of the first demo... THIS is Delirium!

Delirium - Delirium (1988)

2010-06-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Year: 1988

1. Delirium
2. Desert Wings
3. Beyond The Gates Of Afterdeath

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Exploring the beginnings of Death/Doom Metal are always fun, but it's rare to come across an early band that actually does it right. These delirious death/doomers from the Netherlands sure as hell do it right. There's still a bit of Thrash influence here and there, most notably in the soloing and not-quite-growling vocal style, but the sludgy guitars are there, and for the most part, the overall pacing spells out D-O-O-M.

The very first demo from these guys, and it sets the way for their even-better Amputation demo, and then for the ungodly Zzooouhh album. Primitive stuff is focused on their self-titled demo, still finding their style, but the crunchy evilness of it all is still present. Heavy on the high-tuned riffing, and low-tuned chugging, this demo isn't quite sure if it's Death/Thrash or Death/Doom! Regardless, quality stuff for the most part, with the highlight track being the last, longest, and most involved: "(Beyond) The Gates Of Afterdeath". Starting off with your classic Death/Doom, ominous riffing, and destructive slow-pacing... this is DELIRIUM!

Cauteror - They Fell... (1993)

2010-06-20T11:00:00.002-04:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Before I End My Breathing
2. They Fell
3. Night Has Ceased
4. On Wings Of Blasphemy

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I mentioned these guys in my last post, and so a bright idea dawned on me... why not post them on this blog? BRILLIANT. I know. And what's even better, is that the front man behind this genius band is none other than Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues! Expect great things from this four-song demo...

Probably the most overwhelming genre descriptor for They Fell... is DOOM. The Death Metal pops up in the vocal style, with sprinkles of melody scattered throughout. Very slow paced and deliberate, the crunchy, muffled guitars slowly plod along, with lightning bolts of melodic riffing striking down on the musical caravan every step of the way. The atmosphere invoked here is otherworldly... not quite sure how to describe it, but suffice to say that it is the sound of somber sorrow. Very slow-paced, it's an almost sad sound. Especially notable is the title track. When the chorus singing "they fell" breaks out, it's overwhelming, to say the least. The kind of music that you just submit yourself to, accepting that it is better than you, and allowing yourself to fuse with it on a visceral level.

This demo strikes many a chord within me, and regardless of how cliche that sounds, this is something that simply cannot be ignored. Highly recommended.

Godcrucifier - Jerusalem (1994)

2010-06-18T01:21:00.001-04:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. In the Mist
2. Useless Tears
3. Genesis
4. Jerusalem

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Godcrucifier’s breakthrough release, Jerusalem! The perfect blend of doom, death, and sorrowful melody, all contained in a rough, scratchy atmosphere, ready to blow you away. The first band I thought of when listening to this was Cauteror, which probably doesn’t mean much to you all, since it’s about as obscure as this band. Oh well! Herein you’ll find alternating switches between rocking Doom/Death and bizarre, melodic interlude passages. On the first song “In the Mist” there is even some tape manipulation and it sounds as if the tape is rewinding; obviously included to help further the atmosphere and strangeness found within! Overall a great song, look out for parts like at 4:20, which just sound like the atmosphere itself is collapsing all over the place! Neat stuff, to say the least.

The rest of the demo follows suit, the two promo songs have been cleaned up and appear sharper here, with the riffs clearer and more hard-hitting. The vocal performance on all of these songs consists of a heavy male vocalist, growling menacingly in tune with the music—the kind of “creeping” vocals, where it sounds like the guy is gonna getcha! Also mixed in are some clean vocals, if not just serving the purpose to shake things up a bit.

“Jerusalem” is one hell of a track to finish it all off, and features one of the best introduction minutes I’ve ever heard in a song, slowing creeping into a withering whisper and infectious acoustic guitar..ing. The transition into the metal part of the song is seamless, and keeps the whispers, while layering the acoustic on top of the electric guitars. Really cool effect, and the subpar production actually helps with the throbbing, depressive doom of some of the main riffing parts. A liberating song, and you’ll sure as hell feel it when listening!

Overall a fantastic demo, and a great effort from these heathen bastards. It’s amazing how a band with such a blunt name can make such beautiful music. Recommended!

Godcrucifier - Promo 1993

2010-06-17T01:59:00.003-04:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Useless Tears
2. Genesis

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What we have here is very riff-centric Doom/Death Metal. It has a certain grooving beat to it, often repetitive in nature, with sprouts of melody flowing throughout in the forms of guitar solos, energetic riffs, or soothing keyboard interludes. It can get rather hypnotic at times, plodding slowly into the depths of doom… doing so in style!

This is just a promo, mind you, so the production isn’t so hot, the instrumentation and vocals are often a bit muffled, but this is some quality stuff in the end. These two tracks were later rerecorded on their much better Jerusalem demo in 1994! Look out for it!

Hardware - Souls Vortex

2010-06-05T19:12:00.000-04:00

Genre: Experimental Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Chants of Evil
2. Further the Hills of Dreams
3. Cybernetical Illusion
4. Souls Vortex

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Ah... perfection! On the back cover is written "YOU CAN'T STOP PROGRESS". Holy shit were these guys right on the ball. This is progress in every sense of the word (only one to my knowledge, but if there were more, I'm sure it'd be embodied here).

Anyway, this single is chock full of their very own brand of "Cyber Death Metal" and it's a shame that more bands couldn't understand and comprehend the brilliance that was Hardware, or we'd have much better Death Metal nowadays. The keys and synths are back, along with what I always thought a pretty neat production quirk, reminiscent of Cemetery's An Evil Shade of Grey guitar squeaking on the tremolo picks. Definitely adds to the already quirky atmosphere to make for something truly unique.

Thrust through the veils of cyberspace, sit back and bask in the Mexican glory of Hardware! Obviously recommended.

Hardware - Hardware (Cyber Death Demo)

2010-06-03T18:54:00.000-04:00

Genre: Experimental Death Metal

Year: 1990

1. The Unknown
2. Skatological Encounter
3. The Ultimate Solution
4. Start to Think
5. Seasons of Belief
6. Unorthodox Sight
7. Cyber Death
8. Even Death Can Die

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This is it. Some of Mexico's finest right here, and at such an early stage in Death Metal's history! Not exactly a demo, more of an album in appearances, and actually kind of a mistake in its release. Is it a rehearsal? Who cares! This is some of the most bizarre and innovative Death Metal you will ever absorb into your ears.

Highly original and atmospheric, this is full of squeaky, chaotic guitar riffing and soloing, a variety of atmospheres, neat keyboard use... this demo has it all. A few doomy songs here and there, it sounds like these guys had a blast recording this piece of art (yes, this is some goddamn art if you ask me). There are no boundaries that this band didn't cross in the recording of the Cyber Death Demo. Look out for the next post, which will contain Souls Vortex, their EP/Single with a perfected sound!

Highly recommended.

Different Seasons - Bleeding Summer

2010-05-29T18:19:00.000-04:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. Steele Machine
2. Darkside
3. Behind You Sadness
4. Wind Of The Spite
5. Bleeding Summer
6. Red Evening Moon

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Ever since discovering these guys long ago, I haven't been able to go more than a few days without giving this one a listen! I am very impressed, and the only criticism I have is the short length of this "album", clocking in at just under 19 minutes in 6 songs. Goddamnit I want more!

Starting off with an eerie, yet still somehow cheery synthesized intro, the stage is set for some melodic/symphonic doomy Death Metal, but not in the frilly, "frolic through the flowers" pansy metal. This is some dark, but wholly engaging stuff. Excellent use of female vocals is made, along with synthesized instruments like organs! The good part of the album (understatement, since it's all good) starts when the female vocals burst out of the doom and gloom with "Behind You Sadness", providing fantastic contrast, and melding exceptionally well with the atmospheric/symphonic air.

This album has it all, despite such short length. We've got a straight-up Doom/Death song in "Darkside", eerie ambient intro/outro, powerful tunes incorporating all the elements that Different Seasons employs in tracks 3 & 4, and to top it all off, a gorgeous ballad, the title track of this hidden gem.

GET IT

Gorguts, Portal, Krallice, and Bloody Panda Live at Great Scott

2010-05-26T18:48:00.022-04:00

Thought I'd sidetrack a bit with the music posting for a little posting about music!

Last night, I went with a few friends to go see the above-mentioned bands live at the Great Scott bar in Boston, Massachusetts, and found it memorable and exhilarating enough to write about here. About 75 people were cramped into the bar, and I was really excited from the get-go, since this was one of the first times that I was interested in ALL of the bands playing a show. It was one hell of a night, and seeing Gorguts play their first show in 10 years was a real treat. I'll now go through the bands in the order they played, and maybe include a few shitty pictures I took with my phone.

BLOODY PANDA
These sludge/doomers from New York played the loudest of the four and were monumentally crushing. I was standing right up there in the front row and had to check my ears a few times for blood. ;D It was definitely an eye-opening experience to see a band who played this style of music. The guitar and bass were heavily in front of the mix, and every strum left my head throbbing and echoing. What I found to be most interesting were the two vocalists, both Asian, screaming their hearts out. Yoshiko Ohara did the main vocals and her shrieks were absolutely blood-curdling. Hell, when the show began, I thought I was hearing guitar feedback, when it was really just her. Gerry Mak, the other guy who does some of the growling and chanting really got into it as well and overall, the band presented a doom-and-gloom atmosphere; all the band members had their heads down, hair covering their faces, as they played their world-collapsing music.

KRALLICE
Known for their over-the-top technicality and avant-garde style of black metal, the aforementioned really does not do well in a live setting. The band barely had time to acknowledge the crowd or even so much as look up, since they were furiously moving their fingers as fast as they would go. However, they did play some ridiculously fast songs that got the crowd going. I was actually really pumped to see these guys play, since they sounded so pristine and fun to listen to on their studio albums, but in the end, Krallice is a band that's better left to playing in the studio, off the stage. Not much else to say, except that they were the disappointment of the night. Still good, I mean, this entire show was fantastic, but not as good as the other acts.

PORTAL
By far my favorite of the night! The atmosphere these guys invoked was unlike anything else I've ever heard, and as if it wasn't dark enough in the venue as it was, Portal sucked all hope and strength from the room and channeled it into their music. Incredibly heavy and plodding, they sound even more brutal than in the studio. I tried to record a few clips on my phone, but the sound was so loud that it blew my microphone out and all I got was silence!

Okay, I know what you all are waiting for. Was the vocalist wearing that crazy fucking clock on his head? Sadly, no, but instead he was dressed in this sort of anti-pope black garb. His face was covered by a black burlap sack sort of thing, and he had what appeared to be a black, homemade pope headdress on, with gold and red lining the edges. His robe draped all around his body, and he wore these serial-killer gloves. This guy totally stole the show. He was so slow and deliberate in his movements, that it really felt like he was pure evil and I was being thrown into darkness.
The way he tilted his head to one side, held it there for a few seconds, then turned back was spine-tingling. Since he played no instrument, he could throw his hands up and do other ominous things like touching his fingertips together and staring at the ground. The guy was creepy as fuck and it was awesome. The rest of the band had their signature black sacks over their heads with black jackets and pants, and one guy has a freaking noose wrapped around his neck. Awesome.

The music! All of the above combined with their style of music made for an incredible experience. The audience was going absolutely nuts, and I thought the kid next to me was going to have a seizure from grabbing his head and throwing his hands up, in a claw-shape, shaking violently with the music. The breakdowns were fucking intense, and watching pope man move with each pulsating beat threw everybody into a frenzy. You had to be there.

GORGUTS
The best band in terms of crowd interaction and overall enjoyability, and it was their first show in 10 years! I feel so privileged to be a part of Gorguts's reformation, and it was comforting to find that they hadn't lost their touch after all these years! This was actually Gorguts's first show in the Boston area in 20 years!

Frontman Luc Lemay, the only original Gorguts member was great to the crowd and expressed his happiness to be back at it after all these years. An incredibly nice guy; he gave away his guitar pick and even played a few more songs after their set was over due to popular demand. They played a lot of stuff from Obscura, but also touched upon their other three albums as well, so we got to hear a little of everything. They played for something like an hour and a half, and not once did I feel bored or antsy, and the crowd was pretty much the same way. Hell, this was when the moshing and crazy shit started happening! Portal was mind-blowing, but the audience had remained relatively tame compared to Gorguts. I'm pretty sure Gorguts purposely did breakdowns within breakdowns to encourage the mosh-pit, but I've no problem with that! The band was really into the music they were playing, head-banging along with the rest of us. At the end, this one completely smashed guy even went for a crowd surf! Twice!

As an added bonus, Gorguts played two NEW songs that they had been writing! It was a real treat to be some of the first to hear these songs played in full. The first was an instrumental, jokingly entitled "Number 3", since it was obviously unfinished, and had a very Obscura-esque feel to it! The second untitled song was more complete and had vocals as well as a long, interlude/breakdown sort of part in the middle. Mesmerizing, and even more like Obscura! So, for all of you out there who loved the direction Gorguts took before they broke up, you're in for a real treat!

And that was my night. I bought a Portal shirt with a scary spider climbing out the front, shook hands with Luc Lemay, and braved the 90 minute drive back home at 2 in the morning.

Cheers from this guy!

Demented Rampage - Noise Gate on Above

2010-05-25T00:03:00.001-04:00

Note: Artwork Unavailable

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Intro
2. Evolved Mutations

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Some of these guys would later go on to form the great Different Seasons (see next post), and play a style somewhat similar to them in the slightly symphonic way, using synths. However, the contrast is a bit ugly in this demo, because we're hit with a 2+ minute beautiful atmospheric, almost church-like intro, assuredly to be followed by majesty in grace in music form, but instead, we're hit hard with chunky, almost brutal DM with pounding blast beats and simplistic riffing with a dark, crunchy growl.

Then out of nowhere... the synths! Bizarre. Still very interesting to listen to, even if the main song is almost exceeded in length by its intro. Worth a look to see how Different Seasons developed their style.

Insomnia - The End of the Beginning

2010-04-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Experimental Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. In the Beginning
2. In my Craft or Sullen Art
3. 24 Years
4. All, All and All the Dry Worlds Lever

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Continuing our trend of bizarre Death Metal, today's feature is Poland's Insomnia! I've found that Poland makes some of the best Doom/Death Metal and this is no exception. As an added bonus, let's throw in some keyboards and inventive guitar solos, as well as some fancy bass-work, and you've got yourself awesomeness in music form.

The first song starts off as purely Death Metal, pretty raw and speedy, not to experimental, but as the demo progresses and ends with the fourth track, you're starting to wonder where the hell these guys get off playing such an obscure brand of music. Good thing they took the plunge, and a shame they only recorded a couple more demos. Half of the bands that only make it to the demo stage are better than all those big name bigshot asshole bands out there. Goddamn.

Candle Serenade - Nosferatu's Passion

2010-04-24T17:55:00.000-04:00

Genre: Melodic Black/Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. Overture
2. Balakian Rider
3. Chama Iberica
4. Celtic Lir's Sons (Sad Erin's Legend)
5. Interlude For Gothic Kings
6. Spell Of Carpathian Winter
7. Transylvanic Mistress
8. Last Vampire Dance (Finale)

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Nosferatu's Passion is one of those albums that grows on you. But here's the thing, it's not like after the first listen, you won't recognize the beauty and talent behind it. I was awestruck after first listening, and even more so with each subsequent listen.

The main vocalist is female, and does her death growls in a damn fine manner, indistinguishable from a male! And here's the kicker--she's got a gorgeous operatic voice, which she employs whenever she gets the chance! A true treat for the ears and just a privilege to listen to.

Gothic undertones permeate this release, and we're often subject to melodic instruments like piano and flute, as well as creative guitar riffing, building off of and perfecting the style they founded in their demo. The production is much cleaner and sharper, highlighting every riff and vocal trick.

Very doom-oriented, with some ridiculously catchy and engaging song structures, this is one that should be remembered for ages.

Candle Serenade - Tales From Walpurgis

2010-04-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

Genre: Melodic Black/Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Tales From Walpurgis

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Formed in 1993, Candle Serenade released their first demo, Tales from Walpurgis a year later. This should be called a single or whatever, considering there's only one song, but hey! Who gives a shit! It's music, and I know that's all that matters.

This is basically a mini preview of what's to come in their masterpiece album, Nosferatu's Passion. The production is a bit lacking, but it has all the fundamental elements present, in a raw, stripped-down form. There are female vocals, and a standard death rasp, bordering on Black Metal monotony. There is slight melody (you'll see more in the full-length). Consider this a sampler!

Beyond Dawn - Heaven's Dark Reflection

2010-04-14T18:33:00.000-04:00

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. The Underworld (Intro)
2. The Mourner
3. Baphomet's Refuge
4. Epitaph
5. God
6. Second Nature
7. The Sound of Wings
8. The Tempest

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Beyond Dawn's second effort, and it does sound like they're settling into a sound, and picking a direction to go. Much more cleaned up from their last demo, they chose the melodic, faster-paced Death Metal route, with traces of technicality. Heavy use of bass is incorporated, along with the guitarists showing off their skill.

The vocals range from the dark rasp we heard on the first demo, to a squealing, hissing growl, upping the evil-magnitude a few notches. The vocals even have melody to them, and seem to rock with the music, which doesn't happen much in Death Metal! This is especially noticeable on "Epitaph".

As previously mentioned, the demo is sped up as a whole, although the occasional doom element is still tastefully employed. It seems that the band is moving towards a more groove-oriented, jamming sound (the beginnings of their electronic career). However, this makes the demo a very enjoyable listen, and easy to get into!

Recommended because this is unique!

Beyond Dawn - Tales From an Extinguished World

2010-04-11T14:33:00.003-04:00

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1990

1. Beyond Dawn
2. Blind In Ritual
3. Nemosis Symphosis

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Beyond Dawn were (are) a Norwegian band whose earlier works comprised of a doomy, plodding death metal sound, and later evolved into electronic (?). Not sure where and how that change was inspired, but hey, let's ignore the Beyond Dawn of today, and instead highlight the Beyond Dawn of yesterday.

Straight up Doom/Death, often with a melodic tinge, like in the first song. Powerful guitar leads erupt out of nowhere, loud and contrasting with the muffled doooooom. These guys obviously haven't settled on their sound, and you can tell just by listening to the music speed up to grindcore status, then slow down to painfully slow chugging, which the occasional guitar solo and creative riffing thrown in here and there.

Beware, this tape rip sucks, but it's the best I could find... probably a generation 3 or 4 rip by the sound of it. Still, production has never bothered me, and if you're reading this blog, there's a good chance you're into old school DM, so it shouldn't bother you, either!

Cerekloth - Pandemonium Prayers

2010-03-30T21:54:00.002-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2008

1. Pandemonium Prayers
2. Lunatic of God's Creation (Deicide cover)
3. Touch of the Scythe

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"What is it? What's going on?" ... "It's death." Right from the start, I knew this EP was going to slay. With an intro like that, you've got to prepare yourself for some hard-hitting, insane death metal, and that's exactly what you get with Cerekloth's debut EP.

I'm noticing some grindcore influences in this whiplashing style of death metal, notably the ferocity and unrelenting speed, coupled with several vocal types, ranging from the low guttural all the way up to the gurgling spitting of inaudible sacrilege. Everything is fast to the max on Pandemonium Prayers, and the only downside is that it ends too quickly! Only two original songs and a Deicide cover, but I'll take quality over quantity any day, and this appears to be something Cerekloth are good at.

The last song, "Touch of the Scythe" is probably my favorite and this EP's highlight. The intensity from the first song is present, except now with the addition of soloing, providing great contrast in that they're somewhat melodic and slowed down, considering the pace of the rest of the music. About halfway through, we're hit with a slower, doomy part and more melody; very powerful as it gives the EP an identity beyond your typical grind/death album. It even closes with a soft piano outro!

Bastard Priest - Merciless Insane Death

2010-03-29T19:32:00.003-04:00

Genre: Punky Death Metal

Year: 2008

1. Under the Hammer of Destruction
2. From Beyond
3. Merciless Insane Death
4. Graveyard Sacrifice
5. En Hälsning Från Helvetet (Bombanfall cover)

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Bold name, I know, but Bastard Priest serves to assert the boldness behind their 2008 demo entitled Merciless Insane Death. Hailing from Sweden, "primitive" is probably the most appropriate descriptor for this style of music. These guys don't give two shits about technicality or making their music unique through experimentation; no, Bastard Priest has set out to record some of the most raw and filthy death metal of this decade!

There is nothing about this demo that won't kick your ass. Everything from the production to the soloing is wildly chaotic and out of control, pushing the envelope, and tearing a warpath through everything standing in its way. Pure aggression is king, especially in the crusty punkish vocals. Not so much growled, but more yelled, bumping up the overall intensity a few notches. Nicely complementing the vocals are the drums and guitars, both lightning fast--even the riffing seems unnaturally sped up at points like toward the end of the title track. Still, there's the occasional slowed-down part, most likely to give the listener a chance to catch his breath, but those never last long, and we're back up to full speed, maniac solos throwing jabs and hooks left and right, not letting up until you're lying bruised and bloodied on the ground.

Emotion. You just don't get death metal these days with this sort of heart and desire to make such mutilating music. I see a bright future for Bastard Priest; let us raise our glasses to them!

FUN FACT: Blog post #200!

Lie in Ruins - Swallowed by the Void

2010-03-28T16:41:00.004-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2009

1. Descent (instrumental intro)
2. I'll Cast My Wrath
3. Crush the Holy]
4. Abyss of Demons
5. The Serpent Coils
6. Art of Desecration
7. Damnation
8. Raging Fire
9. Swallowed by the Void
10. Bringer of Desolation

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I remember the hype surrounding this album when it was first announced and the artwork released. Lie in Ruins was promising something huge, and to spare you the anticipation, they sure as hell delivered. Swallowed By The Void is in every bit deserving of all the praise they've received with this massive success.

Opening with an eerie, atmospheric intro track, the groundwork is being laid for the rest of this crushing album with slow, steady build-up, leading to the dirty, gritty death metal to follow. A throwback to ways of old, yet with a slightly modern touch, the classic Finnish sound is present, with underlying Swedish influences in the chainsaw riffing style. Quick-paced, Swallowed by the Void is morose and sinister; the listener thrown deep into the thralls of darkness, left to fend for himself, the dark quickly closing in.

With a downright demonic sound, and throaty, raspy vocals, accompanied by a mix of fast and slow riffs, Lie in Ruins recreate that lost sound newer bands can't seem to replicate. Ferocious solos are thrown into many of the songs, further dragging the listener into a state of morbid chaos, weakening any hope to escape.

Ars Onirica - Utopia: A Winternight's Traveller

2010-03-01T09:20:00.000-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2004

1. Grey
2. Married in Death
3. Dellamorte Dellamore
4. Wounds

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Dunno where I stumbled across Ars Onirica; perhaps it was because I noticed one of their songs, "Dellamorte Dellamore" shared the same title as one of my favorite movies, but regardless, this really isn't a bad bit of modern metal!

Emphasis on the melody, the first song "Grey" opens with an acoustic intro, setting up the majestic atmosphere that's to follow. Calm and calculated metal with a few great vocal melodies, both harsh and clean, Ars Onirica delivers a breath of fresh air into Italy's metal scene with this release. It's a pity they split up, since this listener feels that they were well on their way.

Not entirely chill, this demo has its angry moments, but for the most part, Utopia keeps up a serene atmosphere. Those clean vocals might catch you off guard, but as long as you come into this demo not expecting anything like what's already on this blog, you'll find it very much enjoyable.

Graveless - Eternal Lies

2010-02-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1999

1. Eternal Lies
2. Nothing's Sacred
3. Morbid Visions
4. Tears From the Blind

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Wow! This is one hell of a lively and energetic recording, without intending to be! Some of the most emotional vocals saturate the music displayed here, and most likely, the first thing that stands out to the listener is the downright infectious and catchy vocal lines. The way they mesh perfectly with the music and induce foot-tapping is something otherworldly. I haven't had this much fun rocking out to a doomy Death Metal release in a long time. In addition to the harsh vocals are nonchalant, laidback clean vocals first displayed in "Nothing's Sacred" (one of this EP's highlights). They come out of nowhere, but fit so well, I often find myself throwing that short bit toward the latter half on repeat.

The very same melodic tinge is brought pack from the 1994 demo Portrait of Pain, mostly found in the short, but simple riffing style and occasional atmospheric guitar solo. For the most part, relatively upbeat and exciting, just a blast to listen to!

Graveless - Portrait of Pain

2010-02-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Portrait of Pain
2. Sorrow
3. Demoniacal Possession
4. Evil Shades
5. Mind in Despair
6. Dying Thoughts

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A very unique band, I really can't say I've heard much of anything else like this. The recording's from 1994, but the style and energy displayed is from an entirely different time period... another reality somewhere out there.

Often quite melodic (even more so on the EP) without meaning to be, and a lot of this stuff is just straight up catchy; the kind of stuff that grabs your attention on the first listen, and never looks back, yet also never gets old or stagnant. Intoxicating riffs find their place spattered throughout, often a bit repetitive, but they're so good that it makes no difference! The vocals consist of a low rasp, which is changed on the EP. Great stuff!

Monasterial Crypt - Stárí (1999)

2010-02-16T14:13:00.001-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1999

1. Odevzdávání (Intro)
2. Strach
3. Andìl
4. Sklenìné Vìže
5. Sen
6. Podzim a Stárí
7. Hloubka Skrytých Smyslù
8. Holotropie (Bonus)
9. Zapomenuté Bytí (Bonus)
10. Spálená Já (Bonus)
11. Zahrada Radosti a Smutku (Outro)

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How should I put this... this is a very, er, persistent release. Not that it's particularly fast-paced (hell, it's doom, yeah?), but the riffing style is sort of Hellenic in that it's very quick and up and down like a roller coaster. Difficult to explain.

The guitars seem to take a back seat in the mix, and as a whole, this album feels a bit thin. Still, that actually works for Monasterial Crypt, as it gives Stárí that detached feel that allows for the listener to "choose their own adventure", marveling over the guitars or vocals. Me? I prefer to find the best in both; I'm just saying it's possible to listen to this album a variety of ways (adding to replay value!).

Two types of vocals are employed: harsh, gurgling male and billowy, female sing-song vocals, both sung gorgeously in Czech, making this album hard to ignore. It continues to grow on me with every listen!

Funeral Vision - It...

2010-02-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Slave
2. Immortal
3. Cain
4. Monster
5. Dark Muse

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More Poland! Top-notch guitar-oriented doomy Death Metal, with riffs out the ass, often melodic, sometimes depressive, while others upbeat and happy! A unique demo to say the least. Not much in the way of song structure, and often somewhat repetitive, but still an enjoyable listen.

Sinistrous Diabolus - Promo 2008

2010-02-12T17:24:00.004-05:00

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2008

1. Hollow Eyed
2. Necromantic
3. The Essence of Divinity Given to Abstractions of the Human Mind

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Risen from the ashes, Sinistrous Diabolus are back at it again, an entire 15 years after their release of Opus One. This is merely a promo and the tracks are considered "rough recordings" by the band, so hopefully this means we'll see something even better in the future!

Even if these tracks aren't completely mastered, you can tell right off the bat that nothing's changed in their hiatus. The first half of the first song "Hollow Eyed" morbidly depicts this with slow, droning funeral doom metal, then slowly erupts into a slightly faster-paced display of atmospheric, spacey death. Not much for vocals in this first song; we mostly get squeals, growls, and heavy, labored breathing, meshed with creepy keyboard overtones toward the end. This is the groundwork for awesomeness.

"Necromantic" is quickly becoming one of my favorite tunes, mainly for the sad, sorrowful, yet somehow lighthearted main riff/guitar lead. We first hear it at about 1:35, and I was instantly hooked. My only knock is that the song isn't long enough! This is a beautiful instrumental...

The final song is a great summation of the two previous songs, somewhat melodic, but also plodding and miserable. Still not much in terms of vocals, but for now, it's nearly perfect without 'em. I'm just amazed at how well this promo was structured, and I'm even more shocked at the potential for the next release by these New Zealanders. Holy shit. Wow. Recommended.

Sinistrous Diabolus - Opus One

2010-02-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Sleep of the Damned
2. Wipe Out Christianity
3. Aeon Ended

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Seriously tortured, twisted stuff, Sinistrous Diabolus comes from New Zealand... not much metal comes out of there, but from the little I've listened to, it's been mostly positive! This is certainly no exception. Very slow, miserable-sounding, and painful. This demo is like pulling teeth. Except that you're the dentist from that cheesy movie The Dentist. You're some sort of sadist, hell-bent on revenge via infliction of pain in the absolute worst way possible, maniacally tearing teeth from a young child's mouth, forcibly removing the tongue from your helpless wife, all the while drilling viciously into the jaws of hapless patients, watching them writhe and squirm in unbearable pain... okay, that's enough of that! Must-see movie, btw.

But yeah, the music. Awesome. Sometimes gracing into Funeral Doom territory, but also lively (relatively speaking) at other times. The vocals absolutely slay, are completely inaudible, and sounds straight-up disgusting. Repulsive, even! Monumentally tortured music, very dark and foreboding, sure to satiate the morbid cravings in all of us. GET IT NOW!

Odium - Decay (2008)

2010-02-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2008

1. Decay
2. The Last Spring
3. Storm

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A relatively recent release, Odium have sprung up out of nowhere (read: Russia) with this incredibly well-polished demo of impressive melodic proportions. They've since changed their name to Inner Missing, and perhaps I'll throw their other EP up here sometime, but for now, I'm really into this one! Only three songs, but all fairly long and in-depth, displaying an artistic talent, full of life and energy. They've got a knack for coming up with infectious guitar leads and lethal melodies to keep the listener hooked all throughout

Lethargy - The Dark Embrace of Silence (1999)

2010-02-02T23:24:00.001-05:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1999

1. Celestial Tears
2. Spleen In The Morning Mist
3. Where The Wind Whispers Your Name
4. Under A Broken Moon
5. As My Soul Bewails
6. Veils Of Sorrow
7. These Bitter Words

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Greece is my new favorite country for music. Such talent coming in such small, unrecognized bursts! This is very melodic in that gorgeous melodies are employed regularly, giving this a very sophisticated and sorrowful sound. Catchy riffing meshes beautifully with both male and female vocals to create an atmospheric and majestic air about it. Moody and depressing in some respects, both harsh and clean vocal styles are utilized, and the operatic singing blends fantastically with the female operatics, complementing each other quite nicely, before dipping into doomy Death Metal chugging with harsh vocals. Great contrast throughout this album, with myriad instruments used, including, but not limited to, synths and flutes! Unique, to say the least, and a very engaging listen! Recommended!

Hatred Embraced - Demo (2009)

2010-02-01T17:02:00.004-05:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal

Year: 2009

1. Descent into the Macabre
2. Interment of Divine Saviours

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Furious and pummeling, Hatred Embraced have risen from the boondocks of New Jersey (man, what's in NJ!? :b) with some deadly thrash-influenced Death Metal, ready to rip to shreds whoever's in their way.

Highly riff-oriented with a saturated production, this is very easy to listen to and fun to get into. The vocals are everywhere, and border a bit on the melodic side, but fitting very well with the guitar tone, giving these two tracks a balanced feel with a sense of direction! Great guitarwork with finetuned control. Unfortunately, this is only a short, albeit sweet sampler of what will surely be a promising future for these New Jersey metallers!

Necro-E - Assemblage of Emanated Embryo (1991)

2010-01-26T21:20:00.001-05:00

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1991

1. Beyond of the Gate (intro)
2. Oozing Child
3. Torture
4. Untamed Anathema
5. Unmerciful Mist
6. Hideous Carcass
7. Under Destruction
8. Shock on Intestines
9. Mass Murder
10. Boiling Gore
11. Assemblage of Emanated Embryo
12. Decaying the Rain (outro)

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Japan continues to impress! Here we have some absolutely devastating Doom/Death from 1991. As raw and underproduced as it gets, my speakers are having a hard time keeping from rumbling right off my desk! Very suffocating in sound, the heaviness just pulls you in and constantly implodes your eardrums, while the demonic, raspy vocals claw and tear at your soul! Fun! Not much more to say other than this is plain old raw, simplified Death Metal played the way it was meant to be.

Note: this copy includes their first demo, Oozing Child (which I believe are the first three tracks). Metal Archives incorrectly has Beginning of the Death as their first demo with 11 tracks, when in reality, Beginning of Death was merely a promo, and only contained ONE track. Not sure who in the hell came up with those other tracks, but whatever. Enjoy!

Whispering Tears - Carmina Lacrimosa (2001)

2010-01-15T19:11:00.004-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Death Metal

Year: 2001

1. Carmen Lacrimae
2. Whispering Tears
3. E(vil)charistia
4. Complainte of the Ames Écorchées
5. My Beloved Corpse
6. Until Death Do Us Unite
7. The Dark Hours
8. Die Versuchung Der Tranen (The Temptation of the Tears)

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There's something about France. I dunno, those pompous bastards seem to think they're better than everybody else, and this album is no exception! Not to say that's a bad thing at all, of course. Bordering more on the symphonic side, Whispering Tears's debut has a sophisticated and deliberated air about it, very majestic and almost, dare I say, beautiful? However, in stark contrast, the guitars are mainly jagged and crunchy, relying heavily on tremolo picking, while bizarre acoustics saturate the background, with myriad instruments all finding a place in this interesting album. There's occasional synthesizer use, as well as melancholic clean vocals mixed side by side with harsh growls to further mold that atmosphere of intrigue. Most of the songs are relatively long in length (the longest at eight minutes), giving this release a progressive and winding structure. The album finishes off with what appears to be a tribute to Mozart, "The Temptation of Tears".

Absence of Dawn - And the Sun is Fading... (1996)

2010-01-13T18:55:00.004-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. Nature Drops
2. Sky Pain
3. Wind Flower
4. And the Sun is Fading...

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Greece seems to have a nasty habit of restricting the creative genius of many young bands! Damn military... but that's a story for another time. Here we have a lone demo from 1996 by an unknown band that plays a slow-paced, melodic type of doomy death metal. There's not much in terms of pacing or drumming, but the atmosphere and imagery evoked is exactly that of the demo title: And the Sun is Fading... Most of the time, a simple riff is utilized throughout an entire song, and not much is varied in terms of song structure. So why am I posting this here? For some reason, this demo holds my interest. On paper, it sounds like it shouldn't, but just enough melody is used to create a depressing atmosphere and can sound like a fantastic demo if in the right mood. The production wears a bit thin at times and the vocals sometimes aren't the best, but despite all these flaws, this sounds GOOD. Nothing more to it. Would absolutely love to hear this remastered or even re-recorded with some heavier-tuned instruments.

Carrion of Torrent - Inituum Calamitatis Regni (1993)

2010-01-09T02:28:00.004-05:00

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Intro
2. Grieving the Sunset
3. Slaves your Oblivion
4. Inituum Calamitatis Regni
5. Awareness of Death
6. The Purple Clouds
7. Obled
8. In the Land of Lost Hope
9. Divide et Impera
10. Infinity Lightness
11. Obsession in Your Mind
12. Carrion of Torrent
13. Outro - The End of Eternity

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If you know me through Last.fm or anything, you'll know that I was blasting these guys a lot during October, bur for whatever reason, didn't get around to posting until now. This demo is something special; a lot of the demos I post here are amazing, but there's nothing to draw me back again and again, yet Carrion of Torrent have that pull factor, the intangible grip that holds you tight, and won't let go. Even when you manage to escape, that infectious main riff of the title track comes peering from the darkness, sucking you right back in. Carrion of Torrent are quickly working their way up to my top artists solely because they keep coming back. Or, rather, I keep going back to them. By no means a well-known band, and they certainly didn't last long, but this massive effort will forever be etched in time, understood by few, but appreciated tenfold.

I should start by saying they have sound strikingly similar to Varathron. Sure, Carrion of Torrent is from Poland, but they have that hot, sweaty, Hellenic Greek feel. The riffing style is very simplistic, but infinitely effective, and combined with the harsh almost-gutturals, makes for a sound that clouds your thoughts, envelops you entirely, leaving the ol' mind completely blown. Even during the mini interludes, as seen toward the latter half of this lengthy demo, I'm still left in rapt attention, reflecting on the awe these Poles have left behind. Definitely a demo for the ages, and recommended like no other.

Engraved - Before the Tales (1994)

2010-01-07T21:24:00.004-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Winter Sleep
2. Shores Of Despair (A Storm, pt. II)
3. Calm And Crimson

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I don't know if it's because I've become jaded of late or what, but I've been hard-pressed for some GOOD music recently. It's bands like Engraved that, well, they keep me young. It's incredibly rare for me to come across a band displaying such a youthful, invigorating energy as this one. Believe me, I search high and low all over the damned place seeking out the best of the best, and I can recommend you Before the Tales with the utmost confidence that you will enjoy it.

Only three songs, but each of them delivers such an emotional punch, I'm left on my knees, entirely at its mercy, wondering where the hell they disappeared to! I want more! Often times very melodic with powerful guitar solos and upbeat riffing, this definitely borders more on "happy" Death Metal, if such a thing exists. Each and every song is in itself a highlight, a masterpiece. I haven't regarded a demo this highly in a while, since Depression (Rus), so you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to grab this while it's hot.

Shallow Rivers - Water Awakes (2009)

2010-01-06T22:16:00.002-05:00

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2009

1. Water Awakes
2. For My Beloved
3. Echoes Of the Fall

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I know I've been lazy lately, but don't think I've forgotten about the 2009 releases! This is the first demo from a very promising Russian band who plays a unique brand of laid-back Doom Metal with a hint of Death and a lot of atmosphere. Doesn't exactly fit in with the rest of the material here, but I figured a few of you would be interested. Both male and female vocals are used, alternating grunts and flowing operatics, meshed with a prominent use of keyboards make this an engaging listen, one that will hold your attention to the very end, despite the long song lengths and monotonous, depressive feel of this release. Not sure whether to categorize this has happy or sad, but it certainly does evoke some sort of emotional response within me, which is more than I can say for a lot of music out there! Nab this, you won't be disappointed.

Sarcastic Existence - Judgement of the Dead (1992)

2010-01-06T00:04:00.004-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Intro/Senseless War
2. Tombs of Terror
3. Brain Devastation
4. Extreme Living Conditions
5. Die Schmuzige Hand am WC-Fenster
6. Ott Laughed (We Cried...)

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Not sure where I dug this one up; I was just roaming through my library one day and came across this, gave it a listen and was blown away. The first thing that struck me was the brilliant use of over-the-top riffing. Some of these leads are so gosh darn catchy it's too much! Most of it is very fast-paced, and while MA lists them as Death/Thrash, I can't say I agree, since this is much darker and full of that bitter hatred Thrash could never achieve.

Excellent drumming, and upon random inspection, I noticed that Peter Ott was the drummer! I had been in contact with this guy a few months back about a few things and had no idea he was the drummer in such an obscure Swiss band! Hell, he's from Germany I think. Great guy, with an absolutely MASSIVE collection, so if you'd like contact info, I'm sure he'd be delighted to hear from you.

"Tombs of Terror" is probably the highlight of this demo--it's also the longest and most involved, ranging in elements from slow, plodding doom to rapid, cutting Death Metal of the intensest degree. Expect fantastic solos and riffing that keeps beating you down into the ground! Recommended!

Gilgamesh - Demo 1 '95 (1995)

2009-12-21T03:20:00.005-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. Narcolepsia
2. El Exilio
3. Plegaria
4. Ruptura

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Mexico's first all-female Death Metal band, Gilgamesh made a tiny splash back in 1995 with their release of a lone four-track demo. I'm not quite sure what direction these ~~guys~~ girls are heading, but it's somewhere between the two extremes of doom and grind. Often times, the listener is subject to painfully slow, entrancing riffing, while others we're hit with a nonstop barrage of feminine brutality. The riffing is very well done and distinctly prominent, giving this demo a unique edge (quite literally!) making it a short, but enjoyable listen all around. If I didn't know a chick was doing the vocals, I would have thought they were the gutturals of a male vocalist. This demo is ridiculously heavy and hard-hitting for a trio of women, and it's a shame they weren't able to put out more material! Sure, we've got Oxidised Razor, but they kinda suck, so...

Demented Ted - Promises Impure (1993)

2009-12-11T13:29:00.006-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Existence Lies Beneath
2. Despair
3. Psychopathology
4. Incisions
5. Liquid Remains
6. Geneticide
7. Between Two Eternities
8. Forgotten

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Metal Archives Rating: 75% (1 review)
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Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Demented Ted play a chunky, technical-sounding style of animated Death Metal. I wouldn't call this melodic at all, but there's a certain... feel to it. Don't want to say "catchy", but there's something about the riffing that is absolutely delicious. I haven't listened to Death in years, but if I remember correctly, these guys have their moments with cascading riffs reminiscent of later Death. I could be wrong, but who cares, this is some quality obscure Death Metal that more people need to know about!

Sarcophagy - Live at Jerilee's 9/25/09 (2009)

2009-12-09T17:06:00.002-05:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2009

1. Live at Jerilee's

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Reunited at last! The first live show Sarcophagy has played since they reformed earlier this year (June) and it is fantastic! Nothing has changed since the old days, and this is one of the best live shows I have ever heard! The sound quality is really good, since each track was professionally recorded separately, then mashed together into one 35 minute track. It's been through multiple mixes (this is number four), so expect very good sound and production. Several songs are played from both demos, as well as new songs like "Truncate the Pedophile", along with an old track "Spoiled" that was one of four songs written back when they were still together, but never had a chance to record. These four songs are going to be relearned and recorded for a full-length that should be due out next summer some time. That's if they get around to writing a few more songs.

Definitely give this a dedicated listen, as the commentary from the band to the audience reveals a lot about who they are (how cool they are), the new band members, and their plans for the future. Not to mention the fuckin' rockin' music!

Sarcophagy - Cut to Pieces (1995)

2009-12-09T17:05:00.001-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. Onset Of Torture
2. Cut To Pieces
3. The Summoning
4. Grisly Homicidal Butchery

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Sarcophagy was never one to let themselves be ruled by one style of music! They liked to change things up a bit, and that's exactly what we're given with Cut to Pieces: another way to make excellent Death Metal! The guitar tone is a little more subdued on this release, which complements the more dark and doomy parts on some of these songs. "Cut to Pieces" sometimes slows down to just a few beats per minute, painfully slow, but at the same time so satisfying; enough to bring a sadistic grin to your face. The same vocals are used, although the grunts are used more frequently than the rasps, once again fitting in nicely with the plodding dooooooom. A crushing demo. These guys need much more attention, so download and enjoy!

Sarcophagy - Hunger Pains (1993)

2009-12-02T20:46:00.002-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Blood Soaked
2. Motion Sickness
3. Soul Searcher
4. Mass Burial

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Sarcophagy was one of those bands back in the day who didn't give a fuck what the current scene sounded like and were limited only by their imagination (band said so itself) to create some of the best Death Metal out there. Hunger Pains was their first demo, and a magnificent start to a career that ended all too shortly. Thankfully, they have reformed with a couple new members and are ready to tear shit up again!

Mid to fast-paced, this is some out-of-the-box Death Metal that is not only creative, but devastating. There are several vocals styles present, ranging from deep, harsh grunts to raspy hissing growls, depending on the mood of the song. "Blood Soaked" is a slower-paced serial killer song, with the vocals and riffing to fit. Probably one of my favorites, and is also one of the band's favorite songs! The riffing and solos on all these songs are deliberately planned and thought out, solidifying their plan of attack. Amazing stuff, and completely undeserving of the lack of attention received! Recommended.

Immortal Visions - Aquaritia (1993)

2009-11-24T20:20:00.002-05:00

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Year: 1993

1. Dei Carnifex
2. Sometimes They Comes Back
3. The All Seeing Hatered
4. Aquaritia
5. Follow Me in Dawn
6. In Astral Journey
7. Immortal Visions/Satanas Fatum

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An enigmatic band hailing from Poland, having only released this lone demo before changing their name to the title of this demo, "Aquarita". Let me begin by saying that this is one hell of an impressive demo, heavy and crushing, with numerous varied elements keeping this one far from the rest of the pack, in a class of its own. Actually a little overproduced, indicative by the crowded atmosphere and "collapsing" production, it fits very well into the style of music they play. A very dark and gloomy demo (the band they changed into actually plays "Dark Metal"), it is rather slow-paced with heavy gutturals. There are occasional acoustic interludes that break up a few of the songs, emitting an ethereal vibe, and you find yourself lost within the looming music. Definitely not your average everyday old school DM demo. This is something different, something special. Recommended.

Piekielne Wrota - W Oczekiwaniu (1989)

2009-11-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1989

1. Ostateczne Wyzwolenie
2. Przeznaczeni na Smierc
3. Jestes Skazany
4. Wziety w Posiadanie
5. Shit
6. Strach
7. W Oczekiwaniu
8. Wpasc w Czern
9. South of Heaven (Slayer Cover)

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Three years after the release of their self-titled demo, Piekielne Wrota have settled into a more solid, deathy sound. The vocal style, while still very thrashy, is much more anguished and has that sort of echoing quality that gives the release a much more pained and angry feel, helping define this more strongly as Death Metal. Still incredibly fast-paced and furious with wild solos and chaotic drumming, this demo does not let up, except for the occasional spacey semi-acoustic parts that make you feel as if you're drifting at sea or in space somewhere. Other than that, nothing special, but something for the ol' kvlt collection!

Piekielne Wrota - Piekielne Wrota (1986)

2009-11-15T15:52:00.001-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Note: Artwork unavailable

Year: 1986

1. Mare Imbrium
2. Przeklety Dziki Swiat
3. Barbarzynskie Pragnienie Niszczenia
4. By Stawic jej Czola
5. Phantasmagoria
6. Przegrany Zwycieza
7. Batalion Smierci
8. Opetany
9. Wyzwolenie

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Ah, here we are. This is as old school as it gets, from all the way back in 1986 when Death Metal was first finding its beginnings, in Poland no less! Even with the Thrash influence, this is still some of the grittiest and harshest music out there. The guitars are worse than chainsaws, extremely raw and hateful, enough to send shivers down your spine. The vocals aren't quite growled and rather thrashy, but still filthy as fuck. The riffing never ends, along with the solos, keeping it very fast-paced. This is just another stepping stone for where it all began, people! Also please note that I split up all the songs manually, so if you find any problems, leave a comment!

Depression - Распятье Богов (1996)

2009-11-07T15:20:00.001-05:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. Де Сад
2. Зона Смерти
3. Инквизитор
4. Меланхолия
5. Предсмертный сон

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HOLY SHIT

I have no idea where I came across this absolutely massive, obscure Russian demo, but I am sure as hell glad I did. One of the best demos my ears have had the pleasure of imbibing and they cannot thank me enough!

Monstrously huge, expansive Doom/Death Metal, with a heavy emphasis on the Doom. The tracks are quite lengthy, often extending past the ten minute mark, with an average of about 9 minutes each, allowing for multitudes of varying degrees of experimentation and gripping melodies. There's a little bit for everybody; often melodic, but at the same time crushingly heavy and suffocating, aided by the overpowering vocals. Evoking nostalgic and eye-opening atmosphere, I sit here stunned, mouth open, entirely at the mercy of this hypnotic and haunting obscurity. Long, winding instrumental passages saturate throughout, thick with melody and entrancement.

No other information about this band. Hell, their MA page hasn't been updated since the day this demo was submitted two years ago. Consider this a feast for the ears, a real treat to behold. Breathtaking.

Voor - 1985 Demo (1985)

2009-11-05T13:46:00.004-05:00

Genre: Old School Death/Thrash Metal

Year: 1985

1. Evil Metal
2. In Hell
3. Creature Of War
4. No Title
5. Bloodlust (Venom Cover)

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Classic band. Classic Death/Thrash. Voor formed way back in 1984 over in Quebec, Canada and churned out two timeless demos that are often regarded as the building blocks of Death Metal. This is more thrash, but worth mentioning, as they do have some stake in the Death Metal we know and love today. Very up-beat and fast paced with some killer riffs and solos, this is thrashing goodness is the most natural form possible. Chaotic vocals help fill out this demo, making the 1985 Demo some of the most fun music to listen to!

Voor - Evil Metal (1985)

2009-11-05T13:46:00.003-05:00

Genre: Old School Death/Thrash Metal

Year: 1985

1. Evil Metal
2. In The Hell
3. Creatures of War
4. Like A Snake

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Metal Archives Rating: 88% (2 reviews)
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The second demo from these Canadian deathrashers, and it's a re-recording of all the material sans the Venom cover from their previous demo. Why they did this, I don't know, but it does sound much better! They turned up the production a few notches (relatively speaking) for a much better-sounding slab of thrashing chaos. Very catchy and fast-paced riffing reminiscent of Slayer and Possessed, often repetitive, but overall a fun listen, and even more exciting to see that Voor could have very well been in Possessed spot, grabbing hold of the title of Founder of Death Metal.

Eroded (Jpn) - Demo 92 (1992)

2009-11-01T21:15:00.003-05:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Conformed to Domination
2. Sick Yearning
3. Inhuman Soul

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Last.fm

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WHOA. I did not expect such a high level of intensity from something coming out of Japan, still entirely engulfed in obscurity. Simply put, this is one of the best demos I have ever heard. Everything about it is perfectly in tune, balanced to a T, making this an engrossing and addicting listen. Touches of grindcore can be heard here and there, as blast beats often find themselves spiraling out of control, cementing the madness and destruction present on this demo. Fantastic guitar tone, very whole, gritty, and raw sounding, yet still easy on the ears. Very intense and fast-paced, yet somehow manages to avoid any sort of "brutal" tag, just impeccably crafted Death Metal.

The song structure in engaging; as previously mentioned, every aspect of this release blends together beautifully, from the perfect amount of riffing, to the raspy vocals that complement the guitars and drums wonderfully. Absolutely nothing irritating or grating about this release, just brilliantly enjoyable music of the purest kind.

Recommended.

Necroccultus - Supreme Occult One...The Underworld Abhorrence (2006)

2009-10-28T20:18:00.004-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2006

1. Supreme Occult One (Intro)/In The Darkest Region Of Dead
2. The Underworld Abhorrence

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Credits to KeithM for the find!

Hailing from Mexico, Necroccultus are a new and upcoming band with a hell of a lot of potential. This is just one EP from their already outstanding discography. Drawing influence from acts like Immolation, Necroccultus plays fast and furious evil-sounding Death Metal, with suffocating vocals. Not quite a guttural and a little easier on the ears, but still doesn't falter the least in creating a noisy atmosphere of destruction. Very riff-heavy, focusing on tremolo picking, brace yourself for 13 minutes of ass-kicking!

Visceral Evisceration - Rehearsal 1994 (Unreleased Tracks) (1994)

2009-10-23T21:49:00.006-04:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Unreleased Rehearsal Track
2. Butchered Magnificence
3. Impassioned Arousal (Jam Session)
4. Chewing Female Genital Parts (Stoned Accoustic Reh.)
5. I Am Enamoured (Of Dead Bodies) (Reh.)
6. Chewing Female Genital Parts (Reh.)
7. Tender Flesh... on the Bier (Reh.)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Just when you thought you had it all... here's one more thing for the truly dedicated Visceral Evisceration fan: a rehearsal tape containing seven full recordings from rehearsal sessions during September/October of 1994, after the full-length was released.

Included are two more unreleased tracks, one untitled, and the other "Butchered Magnificence". Both sound more like what you'd expect from Visceral Evisceration, compared to the other rehearsals on this blog, probably due to the fact that these are later recordings, after they settled into their sound. In fact, there is a possibility that those other rehearsals aren't even Visceral Evisceration, although they certainly sound like them, and there's no denying the "Gangling Menstrual Blood-Broth for Supper" rehearsal track.

The first unreleased track is very riff oriented, while the second focuses more on drumming.

But wait, there's more! Also on this tape is an earlier recording of the song "Impassioned Arousal" from the Promo 1995, and an acoustic version of "Chewing Female Genital Parts". They were possibly stoned, although I've been told that they didn't usually smoke at their rehearsals. Regardless, an incredibly interesting take on this classic song.

Closing out the rehearsal are rehearsed versions of the two songs that weren't featured on the 1993 demo Savour of the Seething Meat, and what appears to be their favorite track, "Tender Flesh... on the Bier".

You're welcome.

Embalmed Souls - Six Rites of Possession (2009)

2009-10-15T19:01:00.020-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 2009

1. Infection to the Holy Temple
2. Wings of Abomination
3. Circle of Utopia
4. Bury Your Faith
5. Priest of Divine Illusion
6. Purified by Hungry Vermins
7. Dawn of Agony
8. Battle Against Celestial Slaves
9. Forget the Commandments
10. Under the Sign of Ressurrection
11. Revelations in the Darkness

Download at Mediafire
Bonus Demo
Download at Megaupload
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Released just a few months ago, Paulo from Embalmed Souls noticed that I had featured the band's other demos on this blog, and was kind enough to send me a copy of their latest demo "Six Rites of Possession" as a form of promotion. This is going to be a "megapost" in that I'll not only review and post the demo, but I will also upload pictures and inserts that came with the release, as well as flyers and other paraphernalia that was sent to me. I highly recommend that you all get into contact with Paulo (who manages the band's email and mail), as he is a very nice guy and open-minded, willing to trade and talk about music.

I have ripped this in a beautiful 320 kbps, and if you'd like it in any other format, just give me a holler. Included on this demo are not only their newest six songs, but also the five tracks from their 2005 demo "The Temple of Bizarre Cult", and I have split it up into two separate downloads.

REVIEW
All of Embalmed Souls' music is recorded live to, and I quote Paulo, "keep our music nearest to the most natural sound possible". I personally love it this way, as you know there are no funky things going on; just pure, raw Death Metal in the most lively and unadulterated form out there. Very reminiscent of the older days of old school metal and quite the refreshing listen.

Much like their previous releases, Embalmed Souls continue with their dark and arcane style of crushing Death Metal, filled with an overwhelming sense of impending destruction. Very heavy, full-sounding, and fast-paced, Six Rites of Possession doesn't let up once and again I get the feeling (only this band manages it) that I'm being chased through never-ending corridors by some enigma, oozing darkness and doom. The vocals are dirty gutturals, complementing the music perfectly. Evil prevails over all other atmospheric elements presented here. Gravely riffs saturate the release, and Embalmed Souls continue with yet another brilliantly impressive demo to keep Death Metal alive. If only others would follow in the footsteps left behind by these guys, the future of metal would be a much brighter and promising place. If only...

Alright, here are some scans of artwork and other miscellanea I have acquired.

Back cover

Front of the insert

Back of the insert

Flyer for Six Rites of Possession

Flyer for demo The Temple of Bizarre Cult

Flyer for the "Live at Art Underground" DVD

Order demos and arrange trades:

Embalmed Souls
Caixa Postal 8062
Sudoeste Brasília-DF
70673-970
BRAZIL

souls666@terra.com.br
embalmedsouls@gmail.com

Please keep in mind that Paulo and Embalmed Souls are very understanding and open to negotiations. So if you're interested in acquiring some of this material, don't hesitate to contact Paulo at the email addresses provided and work out a price or even a trade. They're not about the money, it's all about spreading the music they love to make and keeping metal alive the best they can.

So please, support this band by giving their music a shot, listening, and enjoying it!

You can find links to all their other demos that I posted here.

Decerebration - My Inner Impurity (1995)

2009-10-14T13:28:00.002-04:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. Blood Shed
2. Virtual Brutality
3. Vengenceful Divinities
4. Rejected into Suicide
5. And She's no More
6. Stolen Conscience

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Straight out of the frozen tundra that is Canada comes some very intense Death Metal. I wouldn't quite call it Brutal DM, but there are elements such as the grunted vocals that add to this demo's ass-kicking brutality. Everything is out in full force on this demo: the drums, vocals, and guitars. Very fast-paced, the drummer does an excellent job of keeping up with the music, supplying copious blast beats and just impressive drumming overall. You can tell this guy knows what he's doing. But the highlight is definitely the riffing and the guitars. Fast, pummeling riffs (not thrashy) pulverize the listener, repeatedly jabbing deeper and deeper until nothing's left, systematically tearing down any barrier that the listener has braced himself with. Recommended.

Anathemized - Disdain (1994)

2009-10-07T20:05:00.001-04:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Gates of Light
2. Beyond
3. An Old Wise Man
4. Clouds of Pride
5. Anathemized
6. My Temple
7. Religious Insanity
8. Inremembrance

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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More Death Metal from Poland! Obscure band, only released a few demos, and if anybody has anything else from Anathemized, please share!

A fairly heavy, satisfying slab of dirty Death Metal, this is sure to please any fan of OSDM. Slow, murky, rumbling riffs are key here, and the production gives the demo a feel that it was recorded underwater in the fog. Very cool, adding to the dark and mysterious atmosphere. Guttural rasps are utilized and blend very smoothly with the music. Nothing about this release is grating in any way and is very easy on the ears. We occasionally hear the bass burst through the muck. Overall a damned fine demo that just sounds good. Recommended.

Cremation - Quilquish Septicemia (1989)

2009-10-05T04:29:00.001-04:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1989

1. The Embalming (Intro)
2. Cremation
3. Quilquish Septicemia
4. Remains of Death
5. Evil Dead (Death cover)
6. The Scattering (Outro)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I'm constantly digging around for really old school stuff, so when I came across this 1989 hidden gem, I was quite pleased. This was originally recorded as a rehearsal, then sort of half-officially released as a demo. The sound isn't too bad, but, as with most rehearsals, the vocals are really muffled and barely audible. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since they can sometimes be downright pants-shittingly scary, especially when the vocalist really lets loose a primitive shriek like at 3:18 in the song "Cremation" and the beginning of the title track.

Often flirting with Doom, there are slow, ambling sections, but also thrashy paced up-beat parts with lively riffs. Demos like these are my favorite because instrumentation is focused on a lot more, instead of being overpowered with vocals. You're free to bask in the great guitarwork here. Recommended.

Darkseid - The Three Mothers (1996)

2009-10-03T23:34:00.006-04:00

Genre: Death Metal

Year: 1996

1. The Three Mothers
2. Mater Suspiriorum
3. Mater Lacrimarum
4. Mater Tenebrarum
5. I Tre Iris (Outro)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Another extremely obscure and rare one-demo band, Darkseid released this "concept demo" in 1996, then disappeared, never to be heard from again. This is an interestingly crafted album, a bit weird at parts, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it, but I'm leaning toward "It's goood". It says so on the demo cover that all the songs are inspired by Dario Argento's Suspiria and Inferno so expect some creepy shit and weird approaches. Probably the most fascinating thing about this album is the guitar tuning. It almost sounds like something that should belong in a Black Metal band, yet plays like Death Metal. Low, guttural vocals saturate the release and create a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Pretty cool demo.

Caducity - Incarnated: The Abhorer's Tale (1992)

2009-10-02T22:46:00.004-04:00

Genre: Epic Old School Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Incarnated
2. Human Soul
3. Silvy
4. Red Army Ensemble
5. Dungeons Of Doom
6. Dear God

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Way out from Belgium, Caducity are something different. I rarely use the term "epic" to describe much of anything, but Caducity play a very special brand of Death Metal that can only be described as having that overpowering, mystifying feel that "epic" bands in other genres create. Opening with a spooky and esoteric riff, the demo soon erupts into full-sounding OSDM with a heavy focus on hypnotic and atmospheric riffing. Each riff is carefully planned out and they all flow together seamlessly, making this demo very engaging and easy to appreciate. Definitely not your average, everyday Death Metal, and this demo is where it all began.

Absurd Existence - Silence (1993)

2009-10-02T21:29:00.005-04:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1993

1. Intro/Gates of Nemesis
2. Silence
3. Earth Rape
4. Myself in You
5. Theds
6. Psychopatic phobia

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Hailing from Germany, Absurd Existence play a very melodic and melancholic style of Doom/Death, reminiscent of Visceral Evisceration. I'm not saying they sound anything like VE, but there are those occasional piercing riffs that just make your spine shiver and your mouth salivate. I much prefer the approach on the full-length, mainly because the production is better. For this style of music, clean production is a must, and the muddled feel of "Silence" kinda takes away from the epic feel that you should be experiencing. Also, the vocals are a bit high in the mix, sometimes drowning out the beautiful guitar work. Still, the vocals themselves are fantastic and very raspy, perfect for the doomy goodness encapsulated within them. There are also some more wild higher-pitched growls as well! Great demo, and something different. Look out for their full-length!

Absurd Existence - Angelwings (1994)

2009-10-02T21:22:00.004-04:00

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Sorrow
2. Black Sun
3. Beyond All Beauty
4. Dawn Of Lies
5. ...And We Dream
6. At The Gates Of Nemesis
7. Ode To The Setting Sun
8. Silence
9. Carried By The Wings Of An Angel

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Back again, with their only full-length, entitled "Angelwings", these Germans created one hell of a masterpiece. Even more melodic than their demo (didn't think that was possible), these guys really know how to write riffs and write them well. My ears keep telling me I'm listening to Visceral Evisceration and Rapture, but there are also original elements to the music, making this stand out over those pansy melodeath bands. Still retaining their Doom/Death genre, it feels like the melody is separated from the music itself, which sounds funky, but it actually works very well. There are alternating sections between downtuned riffing and slow, sludgy Death Metal, and also parts that are basically minute long guitar solos, making for some very nice contrast. They have an orgasmic habit of slowing the music down, then speeding it up while turning on the riffing making some sections completely overwhelming in the best way possible. My heart begins to race and I just want MORE! Recommended.

Ahrimah - Ain Soph Aur (1994)

2009-09-28T23:56:00.008-04:00

Genre: Old School Progressive/Avant-Garde Death Metal

Year: 1994

1. Hazmanah Or Zarna (Introduction)
2. De Carne Christi
3. Azagthoth
4. Pain Of Recognition
5. Veni Creator Spiritus
6. Euronymous
7. First Thing First...
8. Rite Of Heliogabal/Heliogabal Conquest of Paradise (Outroduction)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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This demo is freakin' awesome. Been on heavy rotation for the past couple weeks and for good reason! At a long and involving 30 minutes, there is no skimping on material here, and what's even more amazing is that every song has its own identity? None of this blurs together into one long mess of a song, but each track has its own quirks and unique aura that completely destroys other demos at the time. Seriously, this is something special in that it contains everything you could ever want in "eclectic" Death Metal, and I might even go as far as to label this Progressive, or even Avant-Garde!

The first song is when it hits you, when this bizarre Middle-Eastern melody springs out of nowhere, and immediately I check Metal Archives to see what Middle-Eastern country they're from and then I see they hail from Poland! What!? The odd experimentation leaps and bounds its way all throughout Ain Soph Aur, with strange jazzy parts, soothing instrumental interludes, crazy riffs, slow doomy and upbeat thrashy parts, rad bass lines, spacey psychedelic sections, atmospheric palm-muted bits, holy shit the list goes on! If you were to listen to one song, go for "Pain of Recognition".

And the vocals! Not your typical death grunt/growl, these are more in beat with the instrumentation and sound like they almost groove to the music at parts, while spoken words pop up here and there on a couple tracks, creating one hell of a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.

I can't possibly recommend this enough!

Doom Formation - Definition of EVIL (1995)

2009-09-26T01:54:00.006-04:00

Genre: (Brutal) Death Metal

Year: 1995

1. The Ways Of The Dead
2. Visions Of Ungodly Dreams
3. Morbid Catastrophic Fear
4. Gleuben EVIL

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I don't know anything about this band, or even where I came across this recording... but I thought I'd throw this out to the internet world. Doom Formation only released this single demo in 1995, and then split up, although they appear to have a Myspace, even though it's not listed on MA and seems a little suspicious, evidence suggests there was another split or album in the works. You can listen to another song there.

On to the music. Pretty straightforward, in your face death metal with touches in grind and brutal territory, most notably in the blasting and vocal style. Very professional sounding, and the riffs are tight and well-crafted. Neat little demo from a time lost ages ago!

Nyarlathotep - Slub Lorth in Eternal Rest (2001)

2009-09-21T23:11:00.004-04:00

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Funeral Doom/Death Metal

Year: 2001

1. An Empire Destined To Crumble
2. Birth of Gol

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Very little is known about Nyarlathotep, except that it was a side project of the fellows from The Red Chord and that they changed their name to Stomach Earth.

However, they managed to release a two-song demo back in 2001, and my socks were blown off at first listen. Playing Funeral Death/Doom in the vein of greats such as Evoken and Catacombs, this is a real treat on the ears. Often utilizing keyboards, I get the overwhelming sense of impending doom and that the walls of my sanity are collapsing beneath me. Fantastic atmosphere, and a really gripping release, all the way through, even though their style of music is painfully slow-paced. The first track is a little more orthodox in the style, rarely incorporating strange elements, but then the second song knocks down all boundaries and all hell breaks loose. Keyboards come out blazing from the very beginning, and the deep guttural vocals just rip you to shreds. Then, a little more than halfway into the song, some crazy Avant-Garde shit is employed and you start wondering where the hell this is going next! I even heard a violin and a flute. Bizarre stuff, but totally up my alley. Tremendous and highly recommended. I could see myself listening to this over and over again.

Eructation - Demo 1992 (1992)

2009-09-18T01:47:00.004-04:00

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Year: 1992

1. Day of Confusion
2. Foul Feast
3. Consider to Die

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Whoa. Okay. This is probably the best demo from 1992. Everything about Eructation's Demo 1992 is absolutely perfect. Swedish brilliance of the highest degree.

The first thing you'll notice when listening is that the production is flawless. Very clean and full-sounding for a one-demo band, having released this mere demo way back in '92. All the instruments can be clearly heard, and it seems each and every part of this band gets their shot in the limelight throughout the course of this short demo. The guitars are the main highlight with their superb riffing. As you may already know, a lot of old school DM focus on the art of the riff, but Eructation take it to a whole new level (well, at the time). It seems like the basic foundation is built upon addictive riffs and very powerful, energetic hooks. Upon first listen, my mouth dropped open out of sheer disbelief. It just didn't add up, but here it is, destroying my ears as I post.

The bass player also gets his chance at some glory, especially toward the end of "Day of Confusion". He really goes wild with some fantastic bass..ing. In addition to these unheard-of techniques back in 1992, there are quite a few bizarre chunks to the demo. Mostly in the first song, there are these weird robot-like clean spoken vocals and during "Foul Feast", we're hit with this WTF sound effect. Just listen to this shit; my words don't do it justice.

Recommended to the highest degree.

RIFFS