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

Genre: Epic Death Metal
Country: Belgium
Year: 1992

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

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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.

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!

Renaissance - The Death of Art (1994)

Genre: Progressive Doom/Death Metal
Country: Belgium
Year: 1994

1. The Death of Art
2. Archway

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Only two songs on this album, yet it spans over 70 minutes long. The first is 40 minutes, while the second is 30. I'll break this review up to describe each song, as they are very different from each other.

I would say that the first song, "The Death Of Art" is strictly Progressive Metal, in that there are no harsh vocals, only clean. The vocalist doesn't necessarily sing, at least not melodically. It's more of a fiercer type of singing. See for yourself. This is an incredibly varied song, a strange one in itself, what with all the tempo/time signature changes. It never gets boring because the band doesn't stick with one type of riff or melody, but instead do pretty much whatever the hell they want. "The Death of Art" is very free-sounding and a marvelous progressive epic.

The second song, "Archway" is an entirely different entity. Many of you may be wondering where the Death Metal is, well look no further. Much darker and heavier, it seems like an entirely different band playing on this track. The traditional death grunts are used in full force. The bass is quite prominent in the mix, sometimes giving the song a jazzy feel. Keeping in the Renaissance fashion, you can rest assured that this is also progressively... well, progressive. Sometimes rather weird, but overall a beautifully complex composition that would do well in anybody's library.

Recommended!

Blasphereion - 93 Demo (1993)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Belgium
Year: 1993

1. Desecration Of Christian Body
2. Satan Sublimations
3. Evil Messiah

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I see the light! It seems Blasphereion finally decided to go through the demo process after their first album didn't work out so well. This is actually quite an improvement. There is much more aggression on this demo, and the riffs seem livelier and more involving. The vocalist does try to vary his vocals a bit, so that's always a sure-fire sign of progress. However, their label dropped them soon after the release of this demo, meaning Blasphereion never were able to realize their true potential. 'Tis a shame.

Blasphereion - Rest in Peace (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Belgium
Year: 1991

1. Church of Lies
2. Dells of Pain
3. Demon's Blood
4. Decadence Life
5. Apocalyptic Visions
6. It's Still There
7. R.I.P.
8. Inside My Eyes
9. At the Bound of Madness
10. Future Earth
11. Listen to their Cries

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Metal Archives Rating: 72% (1 review)
Last.fm

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I guess the real issue with this album is that it gets old, rather quickly. It's not to say that this is a bad album, but best enjoyed in short, sweet segments. A lot of the songs have that samey feel, especially due to the guttural vocals. Reminds me of Suffocation and there doesn't seem to be any variation. Just one grunt after another. If you're looking for that bestial, demonic Death Metal, this would be great for you. The riffs aren't anything new, but they get the job done. I kinda feel like the band was rushed during the recording of this album, leading to the primitive and not-so-well-thought-out song structures. Even so, for those hardcore fans of underground Belgian Death Metal, this would make for a nice addition to your collection.