Immortal Visions - Aquaritia (1993)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Poland
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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Metal Archives
Last.fm

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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)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Poland
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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Last.fm

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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)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Poland
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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Last.fm

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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 (1995) [Remastered and Original]

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Russia
Year: 1995

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

Download at Mediafire [Original]
Download at Mediafire [Remastered]
Metal Archives
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NOTE: Use 7zip when decompressing the archives. WinRAR might have trouble with the Cyrillic characters.

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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.

EDIT 03/06/2012

Depression's classic 1995 demo has been remastered and rereleased in 2010. Link is included.

Voor - 1985 Demo (1985)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Canada
Year: 1985

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

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Metal Archives
Last.fm

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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)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Canada
Year: 1985

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

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

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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)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Japan
Year: 1992

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
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.