Apostate (Fin) - Flight Of The Halcyon (1999)

Genre: (Melodic) Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1999

1. Bewitched by thy Flame
2. Hunger for Blood
3. Flight of the Halcyon
4. Pakkasukko

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Here's another band I don't see much around the nets. Started off as Apostate and is now Godskill and still hasn't produced much in the past years, so who knows where this project is right now. So this is me keeping it alive!

As hinted in the genre descriptor, this one's got a melodic fringe to it. It's trying to be death metal, it really is, but what we're left with in the end is Death Metal Lite^TM. That's not to say it's bad, of course!

Not sure the best way to describe the vocals beyond that it sounds as if he's straining like he is going to blow a blood vessel or something. We've also got some mediocre clean vocals thrown in, but it's the guitar work that makes the demo.

"Hunger For Blood" has some incredible tremolo riffing throughout and for the most part, the riffs are pretty damn catchy. It's a shame they're set so far back in the mix, though.

Sceptical Schizo - Demo #1 (1989)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Finland
Year: 1989

1. Intro
2. Holy War
3. Disguised Insanity
4. Forbidden Games
5. The Nightmare
6. I Was Made for Killing You (Bonus)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Mega thanks to Drowned for surfacing what many thought to be lost forever or never to have existed in the first place! Here we have the very first offering from Sceptical Schizo. Thought I'd post it to complete the collection since everything else by Sceptical Schizo has been posted on this blog.

This one boils down to basic Thrash Metal, with some deathy undertones, hardly hinting at the future for this band. As time went on, these guys slowly got more and more doomy and depressive, and this 1989 demo provides an interesting look to where they started. A very chunky, thrashy start, to be exact. There's not much in the way of song structure. Underproduced, simplistic riffs with some deathy vocals and a gritty bassline.

Somewhere along the line, these guys were met with inspiration, and I sure as hell am glad they did.

Chamber of Dismay - Dark Clouds (1993)

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

1. Intro
2. Forgotten Woods
3. Simerion Winter

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

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.

Lie in Ruins - Swallowed by the Void (2009)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
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

Download at 4shared
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

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.

Preprophecy - A Tomb of Sanity (1992)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1992

1. Laugh of God
2. See the Paradise
3. Deadly Conspiracy
4. Depth of Delight

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Preprophecy are a very obscure little band coming out of Finland, which is surprising, considering the tremendous fame they went on to achieve playing melodeath as Cryhavoc. I guess nobody cares about how these great bands start out, but I certainly do, as should YOU. This is fucking Death Metal. Stuff that was designed to rip your entrails out, and most of that can be attributed to the vocalist. No pussy-footing around, this guy is intense and brutal. You know how Swedish chainsaw-like guitars ripped you apart? Yeah, well this guy's vocal style is the exact same way. To further accentuate this, the vocals are fairly high in the mix, only throwing more emphasis on this guy's killer vocals. Other than that, this is pretty standard DM, nothing too special in the riff department, but definitely worth a listen for this guy's vocals.

Preprophecy - Season of Sorrow (1994)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1994

1. The Spring of Shattered Souls
2. Lay Aside
3. Season of Sorrows

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Back two years later, Preprophecy unleashed their 1994 demo "Season of Sorrow". There are a few changes on this recording, compared to their debut. First, the production is much fuller, and everything seems more in balance. The vocals are brought back into the mix a little more, to allow for the guitars (which have really improved) to shine through. Unfortunately, the vocals aren't as destroying as they were in "A Tomb of Sanity", but they still get the job done quite nicely. In fact, this whole demo seems to be a bit more melodic, as you'll notice with some of the riffs and leads. Still fucking heavy Death Metal to the max, just expanded upon, adding progressive and experimental touches here and there. A much more developed demo and a surefire sign of great things to come. Definitely check this one out.

Lavra - Bluenothing (1994)

Genre: Doom/Dark/Experimental Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1994

1. Strange Lands
2. To Elide Something
3. Yesterday It Was Silent
4. From the Suction of Blue
5. E Minor
6. Never

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Fans of Sceptical Schizo will immediately leap out of their seats at the sight of Lavra's name. The once tough and robust Death/Doom band took a sharp turn with their self-titled EP, and the following Plight EP, getting rid of the harsh vocals completely, and playing a more heartfelt, melodic, and depressive form of Doom Metal. It still had that classic Schizo bite, though.

However, with the name change came a massive style change. If you were to simply listen to this music, there is no way that you could tell Sceptical Schizo and Lavra were the same band. Hell, just look at the band picture from the two eras. They look totally badass in their early days, and complete faggots as Lavra (gee, I hope the band doesn't see this!)

BUT, that's not to say this is a bad album, just different; in fact, I find Bluenothing very enjoyable. Seems the band had some sort of fixation on the color blue, most likely to depict sadness, and that's what they do, quite well, I might add. This is very melancholic, sometimes bordering on depressive rock, incorporating gothic and dark elements as well making this a very miserable sounding album; bleak and oppressive. I'm frightened to imagine another album by these guys, as I don't know how much more sad you could make it. Definitely not something to listen to after a break-up or on a sunny day. Well, if you want to completely immerse yourself in pity, dejection, despondency, anguish, etc. then go for it. The vocals are almost spoken and take on this very esoteric quality, echoing in the background, and neat little effects appear to make the vocals sound as one with the wind, like they're nonchalantly floating by, fully embracing the "grey whatever" vibe they're giving off.

All in all, phenomenal album, and highly recommended. Just don't go in expecting Sceptical Schizo!

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

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

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

—————————————————————

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.

Disgrace - Debts of God (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1991

1. Debts of Gods
2. Deprive My Innermost Soul
3. Incinerate
4. Offering

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

—————————————————————

Just based on this albums introduction song, you know this is going to be a hairy ride. Ear-splitting (literally) chaos starts us off, and doesn't relent until the EP's finished. Much more furious than previous endeavors, but the classic Disgrace is still there in the down-tuned, doomy atmosphere and morbid riffing. Seems they've changed their vocal style yet again, opting for a deep rasp, forgoing the burping. Very fitting for the music and the evil atmosphere.

Krypts - Open the Crypt (2009)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 2009

1. Day of Reckoning
2. Dormant of the Ancients
3. Summoned from the Abyss
4. Open the Crypt

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Hailing from Finland and recently signed to Detest Records, Krypts have made quite a splash already with this outstanding demo. Reminiscent of the old school, Krypts play a fast, furious, and evil type of DM. Mostly heavy riffs, we occasionally here a lone melodic guitar lead to break up the darkness, letting light in on this destructive demo. This makes for a great effect and the double bass pounding away ridiculously fast in the background makes this one hell of an overwhelming release. Everything is fine-tuned for a marvelously crafted debut demo. Still can't get over that guitar, flirting with melody. Recommended.

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

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!

Sceptical Schizo - The Four Seasons (1991)

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1991

1. (Spring) Illusion of Sleep
2. (Summer) I Came to Grief
3. (Autumn) Falling Leaves (And My Fears Became to Life)
4. (Winter) Wrapped in Darkness I Grieve

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

This is the demo that many consider to be Sceptical Schizo's break-out point, and probably the highlight of their short-lived career. Four lengthy and intricate songs make up this release and are a bit more aggressive than the previous demo. It seems to have a little faster pacing and is more upbeat, especially on the happy, crisp seasons like Spring and Summer. Their signature atmospheric touches are still there, often created by subtle synths, making for an 'epic' sound at points. However, they never overdo it, and what few times you do hear it, it sounds amazingly well-placed. This release, following the previous one, has a very entrancing touch and while I'm typing this, I keep finding myself staring at the computer screen, completely sucked into the music. Top-notch riffing as well, especially within the first few moments or pretty much every track, with some great, quick main riffs to complete each song perfectly. Highly recommended.

Sceptical Schizo - Into the Suction of Blue/Withdrawn (1992)

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1992

1. Into the Suction of Blue
2. Withdrawn

Please note that this release is actually self-titled, but in the sake of attracting search results from Metal Archives and to avoid confusion, the album is titled as such in the post.

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

In case you still weren't convinced of the Atmospheric tag, then this EP is the release for you. Only two tracks here, but they are written in such an overwhelming way, these tracks will actually speak to you. What they will say depends on the person, but as for me, I get a strong air of melancholy and nostalgia from these tracks. I can't say exactly what I'm feeling, but it certainly tugs at the ol' heart strings in one way or another. Full of synths, other various instruments and sad, doomy riffing, this is definitely a very unique and powerful masterpiece. There are a lot more clean (spoken) vocals on this EP than in previous releases, but I think it goes very well with the music and helps add to the incredible imagery that is bound to bleed into your mind. Somewhat different from older Sceptical Schizo, this definitely marks their transition into the style they were going to play as Lavra.

Enough said, just listen to this and be blown away.

Sceptical Schizo - The Plight (1993)

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1993

1. Tightrope Ballet
2. Sixteen Gardens of Plight

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

This it, Sceptical Schizo's final release under this name. It mostly follows the style of the latest EP and seems like it could have been a part of it. Slowly creeping towards that name change and also change in style. You're not going to hear classic, aggressive Schizo on this release, but instead, much more doomy/atmospheric doom/death, with a much larger focus on the instrumental aspect of music. Still an excellent release, almost on par with their s/t and once again, very emotional and heart-felt. Check this one out, as Sceptical Schizo's transition was a large and interesting one, full of excellent music on both ends of the spectrum. One of the best and most consistent (not in terms of style, but quality) bands.

Pestigore - Rehearsal/Demo 1991 (1991)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1991

1. Swamp of the Holy Rot
2. The Incursion of Chaos

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Pestigore was an obscure little band coming out of Finland and never gained popularity, probably due to never making it out of the demo stages. However, they have achieved a cult following in the underground and are widely hailed as one of the finest in old school Death Metal.

Here was the very first release Pestigore ever recorded, a sort of rehearsal and a demo thrown together. First, let me clarify a few things. There is a download floating around on blogs and stuff that is supposedly the 1992 promo. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. What you all downloaded is actually this rehearsal/demo. Somebody got mixed up somewhere along the way and mislabeled their upload. For proof, look at the song lengths on MA and note how they do not match up with the download some of you may have. But fear not, I am going to post Pestigore's entire discography, correctly tagged and everything for your organizational convenience.

That said, this demo is actually quite good. Excellent riffs and muddy production that really brings out the destruction behind this music. Vocals are growled gutturals, barely understandable, if at all, but giving the demo that demonic vibe. Definitely get this.

Pestigore - Within the Dark Mist (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1991

1. Intro
2. The Eternal Era
3. Ahead Of The Law

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

The second approach from the Finnish Pestigore, and it marks the beginning of the sheer speed and savagery that is to come. Their previous demo had some down time, but there's no letting up here. Even when the drumming is at a minimum, the way the song is structured insures a fast pace all the way. The riffs are also much quicker, but not necessarily thrash. Sometimes a bit repetitive, but that works for this band very well. The vocals also conform more to standard death grunts, if a bit harsher. Definitely not a release you'll get bored of!

Pestigore - Promo 1992 (1992)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1992

1. Stream Of Corruption
2. Within Debris...

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

This is the confused Promo that everybody seems to think they have, but nobody really does. Good thing I'm here! This is probably Pestigore's best release, because it features "Stream of Corruption", the greatest song Pestigore has released. Absolutely vicious riffs dominate the entire piece, cleaving through your body like a katana through a fat guy. Combined with the innovative and creative song-structure, this piece never gets boring. Awesome song. The second track follows suit with killer riffs and kickass drumming. Rare stuff. Recommended.

Pestigore - Twisted Perversions... Unbearable Delight (1992)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 1992

1. Plaguelord
2. Sea Of Souls
3. Incur The Gods Great Disfavour
4. On The Holy Ground To Be

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

The fourth and final offering from Pestigore, and it is much fiercer, with an massive emphasis on speed and chaos. It's also cleaned up a bit in terms of production, although the instruments seem to be separated from each other a little. For example, the drums seem to be pounding inside your head, while the rest of the music is on the outside looking in. Regardless, a very fast-paced and evil demo. The vocals haven't really changed and even exude a slight burping quality to them, giving them a few more points on the evil scale. Don't know how these guys managed not to be signed, because they were going places.