Caarcrinolas - The Egg (1994)

Genre: Experimental Death Metal
Country: Germany
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.

Necropsy (Ger) - Some Dark Impressions (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1991

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

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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)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1990

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

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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!

Absurd Existence - Silence (1993)

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1993

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

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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)

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Germany
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

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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.

Jumpin' Jesus - Demo 1990 (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1990

1. Intro
2. Out Of The Unknown
3. Brain Cramps
4. Burnt Offerings
5. Cloning The Future
6. H.U.A.L.P.

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God-awful name. I know. But try to look past that and see this music for what it really is: a heaping helping of awesome Death Metal.

Jumpin' Jesus were a very short-lived band, lasting only two or so years, but managing to put out a demo and a full-length. This is an excellently produced demo, and actually sounds very professional for being self-produced. The sound quality/production is great and every instrument can be heard clearly without issue. Very strong and commanding vocals are present, along with a jazzy bass line in the background. The drums are solid and the double bass is often heard poking out through the chaos, with the riffs taking a back seat, leaving you to be mesmerized by the pounding. The guitarwork tself is very thrashy, with short, concise riffs. Overall a very well-done demo.

Jumpin' Jesus - The Art of Crucifying (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1991

1. Out Of The Unknown
2. Braincramps
3. The King Of Worms
4. Cloning The Future
5. Chaingang
6. Burnt Offerings
7. Important Gain
8. Rotten Flesh
9. Thru In4cers I's
10. Lost Yourself
11. The Preacher

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Metal Archives Rating: 83% (1 review)
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Yep, these Germans with the goofy name are at it again, this time on a full-length. All four (real) songs from the demo are here, re-recorded and fine-tuned to perfection. Some of the squeaky riffing has been corrected, giving this album a much more balanced feel. Still very weird, with strange synthy sound effects and spacey overtones and the very rare Avant-Garde approach. The speed is all there, as is the same with the riffs and drumming. It seems they sort of went down the technicality path on this one, and the complex song structures and riffing really shine bright. A fine release!

Dark Millennium - Of Sceptre Their Ashes May Be (1992)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1992

1. Spiritual
2. Wizardry Assemblage
3. Of Sceptre Their Ashes May Be
4. Medina's Spell (Valley of the Seventh Mystique)
5. Below the Holy Fatherlands

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First off, thanks to Valan_SDM for the upload of this demo.

This is the only Dark Millennium release with a different vocalist. Unlike Christian Mertens, Torsten Gilsbach's growls are much deeper and more what you'd expect from an old school DM line-up. A lot of these songs are from Ashore the Celestial Burden, except for the title track. The demo itself is much less melodic and that can definitely be attributed to the new vocalist. Instead, what we have is a much rawer, heavier and dirtier sound, completely different from all of Dark Millennium's other work. Sounds like a completely different band! Like I said before, the production is crunchier and the instruments stand out from each other more.

A very exciting demo and just as great, if not better, than Ashore the Celestial Burden!

Recommended!

Dark Millennium - The Apocryphal Wisdom (1991)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1991

1. Intro
2. Bringer of Plague
3. Evil Whispers
4. Black Literature
5. Fading to Eternity
6. The Apocryphal Wisdom (of an Allegorical Apocalypse)

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Thanks to Valan_SDM for the upload!

The very first effort from the legendary Dark Millennium, yours to download! This is basically a glorious prelude to the brilliance to follow in later years. It sounds a lot like Ashore the Celestial Burden, which really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, considering that was released just a year later. If anything, Christian's vocals on this release sound a little more intense and much faster. Not by much though.

Those delicious and engaging riffs are still present, and Black Literature has been split up into two separate songs. The last title track song is a monumental 12 minutes long and really seals the deal for this monstrous band. Dark Millennium is going down in the record books. Recommended.

Dark Millennium - Diana Read Peace (1993)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1993

1. Mission
2. Dead in Love
3. Of Sceptre Their Ashes May Be
4. Brotherhood Sleep... Back to Treasureland
5. Mechanismeffects
6. Fatehistory
7. Peace in My Hands
8. My Repertory of Grey
9. The Mindartist
10. In and for Nothing
11. Pandemonium
12. Myth

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What the hell, Dark Millennium? Can't you stay consistent for more than two releases in a row? First we've got a vocal change, and now we've got a Melodic Doom/Death thing going on here. What's up with that? Now don't get the wrong idea, that is in no way to imply that this is a bad album. Not at all. This is a very good album, just an incredibly different style.

For starters, clean vocals. Yeah, didn't see that coming, either, especially after Of Sceptre Their Ashes May Be. The first real track "Dead in Love" consists largely of clean vocals and slower, melodic guitar leads and melodies. Different, to say the least.

Another thing worth noting is that the guitars seem to be lower in the mix and their famous riffs sometimes get lost in the background, as in they aren't as noticeable. I also found that there was some technical experimentation going on here. Some don't even seem old school at all. Once again, not a bad thing, just prepare yourself for a different style if you come in here expecting to hear the same thing as on Ashore the Celestial Burden.

All in all, a good album, depending on your tastes and how open-minded you are.

Drowned - Viscera Terrae (2007)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 2007

1. Embrace The Beast
2. Key To The Lunar Waters
3. Abyssic Dead, They Sing For Me
4. Viscera Terræ

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Metal Archives Rating: 90% (1 review)
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Featuring the vocalist from Necros Christos, this band has made quite a splash with their latest demo/EP offering. They play down-and-dirty old school Death Metal, uncompromising, the way it's supposed to be played. As previously mentioned, the guy from Necros Christos grunts on this record, and if you've ever listened to NC, you know how evil-sounding this guy can be, which goes so far as to give this album a bit of a Black Metal feel to it, as I can see the similarities to NC here and there.

Tuned very low, this release has great tone and feel to it, while still being very clear in that no instruments are left out. At points, it can seem too simple, but there's nothing wrong with that if they do it right (which they do). This is your basic DM, nothing weird or experimental, no egomaniacal wankery or technicality, just gritty Death Metal. A fine release.

Dark Millennium - Ashore The Celestial Burden (1992)

Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1992

1. Below the Holy Fatherlands
2. Spiritual
3. Black Literature
4. Inside the Sunburnt Thoughts of Frost
5. Father Legatus: Of Symbols, Nature and Birth
6. Beyond the Dragon's Eye
7. Wizardry Assemblage
8. Medina's Spell
9. Disillusion
10. The Atmosphere

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Metal Archives Rating: 98% (1 review)
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A lost gem, this album is very close to perfection. Why not perfect? Well, the answer is simple: perfection does not exist, but Ashore The Celestial Burden comes pretty damn close. The moment I gave the first track a spin, I knew this was going to be mind-blowing. The opening riff to the opening track is beyond catchy and gripping. Words cannot describe it. And I haven't even gotten to the rest of the album! Sure enough, each and every song follows suit, trotting and plodding along.

Probably the highlight of this record is the atmospheric and melodic riffs. It seems like each and every song has it's own unique and memorable riff, always infectiously catchy and involving. Not a single track disappoints here, and the fact that every song is different in its own way keeps me listening until the very end, a melancholic instrumental track and then the final colossus unfolds. Such an amazing and memorable album.

I hate to drag this on, but it's also worth noting the vocal style. It's not your standard old school DM grunt/growl, but a more high-pitched and emotional type of growling. Very clear and heartfelt, I love these kinds of vocals because they can vary quite a bit throughout an album and are excellent attention grabbers. I could never fall asleep to something as animated and invigorating such as this.

Recommended; can't stress that enough.

Excoriate - On Pestilent Winds... (2009)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 2009

1. Voice Of Damnation
2. On Pestilent Winds
3. From Morbid Ruins
4. Mayhem (Sepultura Cover)
5. Poisoned By Darkness
6. Bestial Slaughter
7. Demons Rush

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This is really fucking intense. So this isn't exactly old school per se, but their sound is often compared to older Sepultura and Asphyx, which is pretty badass. The band released a slew of demos, and finally got around to recording this album in 2006, releasing it in 2009.

The first thing that struck me with this particular record was the ferocity. Most old school DM sort of lumbers along, but this is a full-out sprint. The title track, which is also the first real song, is completely unrelenting, razor sharp riffs and maddening drums constantly pounding away for six straight minutes. I actually said "Whoa" to myself the first time I gave this a spin. Incredibly frantic and a fun listen.