Condolence - Pernicious Segregation (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: Netherlands
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.

Asphyxia (Irl) - Conflagration (1990)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Ireland
Year: 1990

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

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Metal Archives Rating: 90% (1 review)
Last.fm

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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.

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!

Hardware - Hardware (Cyber Death Demo) (1990)

Genre: Experimental Death Metal
Country: Mexico
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.

Beyond Dawn - Tales From an Extinguished World (1990)

Genre: Old School Doom/Death Metal
Country: Norway
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!

Obscene - Grotesque Experience (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Shades of Nothing
2. Eternal Doom
3. Putrid Remains

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Only three fucking plays for this demo on Last.fm? You've got to be kidding me. This is one of the best demos I've ever heard. Don't believe me? Well two of the lead guys went on to play in House of Usher and Crypt of Kerberos. Yeah, holy shit. It's a crime that these guys have gone so unrecognized for so long. The band's only demo, three songs, but about 20 minutes of evil Death Metal; the best kind.

What we have here is some relatively doomy-paced Death Metal with a keen eye for dynamics. As I listen to this, I'm catching glimpses of Timeghoul for the sci-fi, spacey moments, executed to perfection to really liven up the atmosphere of this piece. This demo, in addition to its pure evilness, also has an enigmatic, creepy factor to it. For a brief moment, Impavida just flashed through my mind, as a spooky riffs eerily caressed my mind, sinking into my brain. The vocals are set back a bit in the mix, and at a comfortable rasp, they complement the musical genius perfectly. A very hypnotic and entrancing atmosphere is given off, and is accentuated by the longer song lengths, each averaging about six minutes in length. The occasional solo is thrown in, muffled in the background, giving this demo a very far-out feel, and you'll notice the rare sort of acoustic interlude, like towards the end of "Eternal Doom" that just seals the deal on this phenomenal demo.

Highly recommended.

Disgrace - Beyond the Immortalized Existence (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1990

1. Beyond the Immortalized Existence
2. Offering
3. Deprive My Innermost Soul
4. Ingrained Reign
5. Absurd Acension

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Weird band. They started out playing Death Metal of the rawest kind and then transitioned over to punk rock later in their career. Hm. Fear not, though, this is the very first demo from these guys, and it is death metal with balls. Probably the most interesting part of this music is the vocals. We have several different styles going on here, and it really makes this a fascinating piece of Death Metal. There are your classic death grunts, sometimes destroyed by the production, giving them an even rawer sound. In addition, we've got a higher pitched, crazed vocal style, the rare burping, some grindcore-esque vox, and even some spoken word-like vocals that have a robot hint to them, due to the production. They mix them up quite well, so you're never listening to the same style for too long, making this a varied piece that'll never bore you.

It's also notable how doomy this demo can get at some points. "Deprive my Innermost Soul" is mainly Death/Doom, and a nice break from the chaos. Great release, really.

Disgrace - Inside the Labyrinth of Depression (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1990

1. The Chasm
2. Unity's Interlude Dies Blind Tomorrow
3. Transcendental Dimension
4. Waves of Hypocrisy Seas

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Metal Archives Rating: 99% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Disgrace's second demo, and it is a hell of a lot better than their debut, which was already awesome enough. The production was cleaned up immensely and it seems that the band decided on a vocal style. They mainly utilize the Demilich-esque burping vocals, although not quite as pronounced and mash that with a higher-pitched, hatred-filled squeal. Awesome. Much heavier in production, and the riffs are more doom-laden and gutwrenching. Everything on this demo is downtuned to the max. The guitars, and even the vocals, making this release feel like you're flung into exactly what the first track depicts, The Chasm.

Recommended.

Toxaemia - Kaleidoscopic Lunacy (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Terminated Violence
2. Dark Wisdom
3. Crematorium
4. Evil Rage

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Metal Archives Rating: 80% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Another forgotten gem, this is Toxaemia's first demo of their short-lived career. It's so frustrating when bands only stick around for one or two years, release such promising stuff, then promptly disappear into thin air. Oh well, it can't be helped.

This is some very raw/muddy-sounding Death Metal of the oldest old school caliber. Very solid stuff, the production is surprisingly good and satisfyingly heavy. For some reason, I immediately thought of Cemetary's Evil Shade of Grey when listening to the first track of this album, and we all know that's definitely not a bad thing. A bit on the "nothing new here" side, but still very well-done Swedeath.

Crematorium is a great song, featuring some excellent tremolo picked riffs and by far the highlight of this demo.

Toxaemia - Beyond the Realm (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Beyond the Realm
2. Another Lie, Another Death
3. Who Dies
4. Expired Christianity

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Metal Archives Rating: 85% (1 review)
Last.fm

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The second offering from Toxaemia, and their style has changed quite a bit. The production is probably the most notable difference, and it seems a lot more tinny and even overproduced at some points. The percussion is loud and in your face, sometimes overpowering like in Rippikoulu's Musta Seremonia. There is also more aggression, so much so that the EP takes on sort of a thrashy feel, with its quick riffs and excellent solos. The vocals are raspy gutturals, the kind that I really enjoy. A great EP, and probably better then their initial demo, what with the higher quality riffing.

Sceptical Schizo - Dispossessed (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1990

1. Intro: The Rocker
2. Sepulchral Scene
3. Brainwash
4. Meaning of Existence
5. Victim of Perversity
6. Peerless Pastor

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Here we have the legendary Sceptical Schizo's second demo. The first is still nowhere to be found, so if you've got it, kindly send it to me! This demo is noticeably more thrashy in comparison to their other demos. Sure, the vocals are death all the way, but the riffing is much faster and there seems to be quite an abundance of tremolo picking. Amazing riffs, especially on "Meaning of Existence" and "Victim of Perversity", and the firm roots of a band that was to release a few more demos/EPs before changing their name to Lavra.

Sceptical Schizo - Danse Macabre (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1990

1. Comfortable? (Open Your Eyes)
2. Fruits of Wrath
3. Battlefields
4. Thoughts of the Dead

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Demo number three from the Finnish Sceptical Schizo, and this is where they really start to perfect their sound. A much more polished release, you can feel the atmosphere and doomy perfection radiating from this music. It's very easy to lose yourself in the hypnotic songs. There are some pretty cool melodies, like on "Fruits of Wrath", and Sceptical Schizo really knows how to churn out some quality songs, getting creative with song structure and tempo. The riffs and solos are all still there, albeit slowed down quite a bit, really sinking into their doom/death sound. Impressive stuff!

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.

Morbid Death - Diabolic Force (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Belgium
Year: 1990

1. Intro
2. Sin Of Pride
3. Diabolic Force

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Fans of Blasphereion will recognize this name, for Morbid Death changed their name to the aforementioned band. Straight out of Belgium, this really isn't a half bad demo. Blinding fury throughout, and you'd never expect it after the gloomy intro track. Instead, I expected some slower Death/Doom, but what I got was a punch to the face. Multiple punches to the face. That lasted for about 7 minutes. The riffs are very thrashy and the different percussive instruments are used quite extensively, giving this a very wild and in your face feel. Definite must to see where Blasphereion started out!

Abhoth - Rehearsal 1990 (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Soul Plague
2. God Macabre

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Because I'm a completist and love to obtain full discographies from bands, I finally managed to hunt down this lost Abhoth rehearsal. Note that this is ridiculously rare and you will NOT find it anywhere else.

Recorded on January 11th, 1990, this is the second rendition of Abhoth's previous 1989 rehearsal, which was instrumental. Vocals have been included in this one. You can tell these guys definitely improved far beyond their previous abomination of a demo "A Matter of Splatter". Present there were short song lengths, and underdeveloped songs. Abhoth show a much greater maturity with this rehearsal. The songs are much longer (5 and 3 minutes) and show an actual attempt at song structure, not just mindless riffs being thrown around. Definitely the turning point for this band. Vocals are a bit hardcore-ish, but not much and the riffs are actually catchy and creative, with the occasional solo thrown in here and there. Nice stuff!

Afflicted Convulsion - Slay Your Inner God (Unreleased Demo Track) (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Slay Your Inner God

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I'm not quite sure where this comes from, but regardless, here is a little goody for you all, an unreleased track. It is supposedly present on their second demo Psychedelic Grindcore, but unfortunately I cannot verify if it's the same song. Either way, still a great track with that signature double bass! Enjoy!

Chronic Decay - Ecstacy in Pain (1990)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Ecstasy in Pain
2. 1st of September
3. Dark Before Dawn

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Metal Archives Rating: 91% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Total destruction. This EP is everything fast, furious and deadly dangerous about Death Metal. Not relenting for even a moment, Chronic Decay continue to pound your skull in, song after song. The riffs are pronounced and lighting speed, and they just keep going! If you're one to hold your breath when something intense is going on, you'll suffer massive brain damage because you won't be able to breathe for 11 minutes! The 1st of September is a prime example of the ferocity. It starts off with a hooking riff and eventually explodes into chaos and aggression. Awesome stuff.

The vocals also fit quite well. They are nothing like those found on the split. They are more deathy and less thrashy. Recommended!

Belsebub - Lord of Lucast (1990)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

1. Satan Cross
2. One Of Darkness
3. Cannibal Minds
4. In The Mercy Of Satan
5. World Nightmares
6. Two Sides Of Life
7. Lord Of Lucast
8. Human Sacrifice

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These guys are ancient and one of the more obscure Swedeath bands that were popping up all over at the time. So what sets these guys apart from that classic old school Swedish DM sound? Dual vocals. A brand new concept at the time, nobody had even thought of using two separate vocalists in their DM. This is not to say they were the first, but their influence is certainly felt today. You get your basic death grunt, very deep and dirty, but there is also a higher pitched Autopsy-like set of vocals to accompany the growling. May have seemed like a bad idea at the time, but Belsebub managed to pull it off quite spectacularly. The two styles complement each other perfectly and it almost sounds like they're having a conversation, which makes this a very interesting, and attention-grabbing listen. Go for this if you're curious as to where it all started.