Garden Of Silence - Demo 92 (1992)

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

1. Sovereign of Sorrow
2. Through Infinity
3. At the End
4. The Farewell (At the End, Part 2)

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Even with all the genre descriptors to describe metal, Doom/Death still doesn't quite do the trick. There can be your dark and stormy doom/death, or the more bright and vibrant variety, if that makes sense. Garden Of Silence falls under the latter category; more uplifting than most. Obviously influenced heavily by traditional doom, I'm detecting subtle hints of Candlemass, especially in the clean vocals. So where's the Death? Well, we have harsh vocals, too! Mouthy rasps complement the clean vocals quite well, and are interlaced quite nicely with the rest of the music.

This is doom, but much more of a melodic type, without being melodeath. Filled with lively riffs and smooth melodies, this certainly feels more like a doom demo with some death metal elements.

Oh, almost forgot. These guys were previously known as Cemetery, who released a demo back in '91. I'll get around to posting that demo at some point as well.

Fun fact: Stephanie and Jerome later went on to form Horrors Of The Black Museum, which is a phenomenal doom project. I suggest you all check it out.

Lamentations - Promo 1993 (1993)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1993

1. Forbidden Unacceptable Suicide
2. Lamentations
3. Reborn for Dying
4. Infamous Death

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This time from France, let's focus on something that hasn't seen the light of day for many years. Not much is known of this band, and everything I know comes from the inlay... I'm sure they've released more; I mean, how could they not have, considering the quality of this promo!

The first thing I noticed about this demo was the production. It's not as clear and crisp as most stuff out there, but rather subdued and "soft". Obviously, this is a huge contradiction, considering it's full-on Death Metal, but I feel that it's a little smoother, which is great!

Again with the atmospheric tinges, these guys know how to build up a song, constructing it the way songs are meant to be constructed (see: "Reborn for Dying"). I always love it when Death Metal bands extend their songs over the average 3-4 minute mark, because, more often than not, we're left with experimentation, and opportunities to slow down the fury and create a better song. The first song here is your standard Death Metal, but then the band progresses with some dynamite riffing and song structure. This is some involving and complex stuff, so don't miss out!

Musica Eternal - De Tenebrae (1993)

Genre: Death/Black/Electronic Metal
Country: France
Year: 1993

1. Intro
2. Book Of The Dead Names
3. The Door Painted In The Sky
4. The Doom
5. Tenebrae
6. Nocturnal Eternal

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Here's something most of you probably haven't heard... and for good reason, too! Have you seen the genre description!? Fortunately, Musica Eternal does it well with some strange synthesized, drum-programmed Black/Death Metal. There are times where it seems more Black than others, but the Death does come out to play every so often, with the two styles fusing together quite fluently, making this a great success in experimentation, especially considering the time it was recorded at. They only released this one demo (maybe another), before disappearing forever.

The synths are used to a great extent on this demo, and have an eerily calming effect, amidst the metallic chaos everywhere else. Often cross-cutting (yes, I can describe music with film terms) between the synths and cutting guitars, great contrast is present, especially on the "Tenebrae" and "Nocturna Eternal" (best on the demo) track. Hell, there's even chanting and church bells going off! Truly a find from way out of left field, this is definitely something well worth listening to after taking a break from your traditional Black and Death Metal.

Strange... and highly intriguing...

Whispering Tears - Carmina Lacrimosa (2001)

Genre: Atmospheric Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 2001

1. Carmen Lacrimae
2. Whispering Tears
3. E(vil)charistia
4. Complainte of the Ames Écorchées
5. My Beloved Corpse
6. Until Death Do Us Unite
7. The Dark Hours
8. Die Versuchung Der Tranen (The Temptation of the Tears)

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Last.fm

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There's something about France. I dunno, those pompous bastards seem to think they're better than everybody else, and this album is no exception! Not to say that's a bad thing at all, of course. Bordering more on the symphonic side, Whispering Tears's debut has a sophisticated and deliberated air about it, very majestic and almost, dare I say, beautiful? However, in stark contrast, the guitars are mainly jagged and crunchy, relying heavily on tremolo picking, while bizarre acoustics saturate the background, with myriad instruments all finding a place in this interesting album. There's occasional synthesizer use, as well as melancholic clean vocals mixed side by side with harsh growls to further mold that atmosphere of intrigue. Most of the songs are relatively long in length (the longest at eight minutes), giving this release a progressive and winding structure. The album finishes off with what appears to be a tribute to Mozart, "The Temptation of Tears".

Darkseid - The Three Mothers (1996)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1996

1. The Three Mothers
2. Mater Suspiriorum
3. Mater Lacrimarum
4. Mater Tenebrarum
5. I Tre Iris (Outro)

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Last.fm

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Another extremely obscure and rare one-demo band, Darkseid released this "concept demo" in 1996, then disappeared, never to be heard from again. This is an interestingly crafted album, a bit weird at parts, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it, but I'm leaning toward "It's goood". It says so on the demo cover that all the songs are inspired by Dario Argento's Suspiria and Inferno so expect some creepy shit and weird approaches. Probably the most fascinating thing about this album is the guitar tuning. It almost sounds like something that should belong in a Black Metal band, yet plays like Death Metal. Low, guttural vocals saturate the release and create a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Pretty cool demo.

Broken Fear - Beyond The... (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1991

1. Nuclear Factories Fonction
2. Hunting Horror
3. Trapped

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Broken Fear were an incredibly unknown Death Metal band coming out of the bowels of France, during the time that their counterparts in Sweden were flourishing. So far, this is the only release from this band that has surfaced, and I am still looking for any of their other work. Anybody with information please contact me!

"Mystic" and "enigmatic" are two words that I think properly describe a release such as this. Simply listen to the first track "Nuclear Factories Fonction" and tell me you don't see the machinations of a unique band trying (and succeeding) to define itself through use of sometimes spooky, calm, ambient sections like the intro and outro of that song, helping to build enormous atmosphere and tension within the music. This general quality to the music, coupled with the fact that they're so obscure makes this a rather mysterious releas, and I'm often lost in thought wondering what happened to this band, as the potential they harnessed was immense.

The vocals are another highlight of this demo; we find several styles, with the most predominant being a dirty growl/rasp that cuts right through you, very much like Swedish guitars do. Fits very well with the fuzzy production, giving Beyond The... a rather evil and demonic sound. Also included are eerie whispers, complementing the atmosphere, and shrill, anxious shrieks, making your heart beat faster and faster. Very well done.

Often slower-paced with some doomy sections, this is a heavy and miserable-sounding demo. Even when the band is playing at full-force, the production and guitars still give it that sludgy sound, making for great contrast. Apocalyptic, buzzy riffs are thrown in here and there, especially noticeable in the last song, "Trapped". Quality Death Metal, and highly recommended to those who enjoy unique-sounding OSDM with their own style. I'm impressed.

Dawn of Might - Dawn of Might (2006)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 2006

1. Crawling Away
2. Eternal Trip
3. Roots of our Pain

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Okay, so this might be breaking the rules a bit, as this isn't exactly OSDM but hey, this is my blog so fuck you! I actually opted to throw these guys up here because they're relatively new and seemed to have gained absolutely zero attention thus far. I'm convinced that that's because they're not trying or really half-assing it. I mean, take a look at their Myspace. Only a couple hundred views, two friends (including Tom), no photo, no bio, no other inforamation, and nothing in the music player. Last.fm: one listener (me!) and two plays. Jeepers, these guys really know how to promote their work.

Anyway, I'm here to take that task off their hands. Yay! Dawn of Might! This really isn't half bad, but pretty much nothing like the rest of the stuff on this blog. You'll notice that after the quick ambient intro, we're hit hard with... a melodeath riff. Happy, and full of life, like a giddy schoolboy skipping down the hallway. Okay, so it's not that bad, I was just feeling a creative writing spurt (which is odd, considering it's 4 in the morning here, and quite evident by the fact that I'm incoherently rambling). Ahem, I'm hoping you're all enjoying this as much as I am.

Relatively slow-paced, and seemingly sticking with the same basic riffing style all the way through, this demo sounds like it would plod on without end, but I managed to make it through in one go. An enjoyable listen, and nothing too straining on the ol' ears!

Abnorm - Schemes of Hate and Denial (2009)

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 2009

1. Intro
2. Occularis Infernum (The Devilish Contemplations)
3. The Dead End Path Passenger
4. Schemes of Hate and Denial

Download at 4shared
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Last.fm

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This was released quite a while ago, back in February, but seems to have garnered absolutely zero attention. Bummer. A big, fat zero plays on Last.fm, and they really deserve more. Delving heavily in Black Metal territory, we hear many fast-paced, tremolo-picked riffs, but there's also a death/doomy side to things. The second track is a great example of this contrast; it starts a pure Black Metal ferocity, and about two thirds in, all of a sudden we're hit with some death/doom, and it sounds just like an old school Death Metal band. The vocals are very energetic and full of life, mostly death-based, and a great addition to the furious music. The riffs can be really cool at points, and are always very fast, so you know you'll never be left feeling unsatisfied after this first effort! A fantastic start for a band that I'm sure will go places rather quickly.

Sepulchral - Internal Decomposition (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1991

1. Rigor Mortis
2. Putrefying Mass
3. Internal Decomposition

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Last.fm

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Don't know where I dug this gem up, but I'm glad I did. Starting with your classic growling ambient intro, this demo builds up in a very professional manner. I was most impressed by the riffs on this demo, often venturing into the doomy side of things, then erupting into furious, evil Death Metal at its finest. The riffs aren't anything fancy, but that's not the point of old school metal- it's all about the heart and feeling behind the riffs, and these guys certainly know how to create a great (epic) atmosphere with their riffing. Plodding along, you'll find yourself slowly headbanging in unison with them. Great writing. The whole album has that larger-than-life feel.

There are really three distinct types of vocals, some used more than others. The most prominent is the standard death growl, done very nicely. There are also two other types; the nearly-silent "I have a cold" rasp that you can find on Cartilage's Encapsulated Rehearsal and another Demilich-esque vocal style that you won't hear until the last track. Not quite as "froggy" as Demilich, but the same effect is still there. Recommended!

Sthygma - Act 1: Sthygma (1995)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: France
Year: 1995

1. Strange Anathema
2. (Let You) Hear Out The Mermaids
3. Dreamland
4. Inner Peace

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Props to xuxl for the upload!

Hailing from France, Sthygma took their first steps into the underground Death Metal world with their EP, Act 1: Sthygma. Some pretty cult stuff, Sthygma play a unique type of Death Metal infused with thrashy elements. The vocals sound very hardcore-ish and you can tell they come from the throat. None of this guttural business. Standard riffing with the occasional burst of raw speed and aggression. The vocals really help to highlight the anger in this release. However, on a contrasting side of things, there are these mesmerizing sort of chanting-like vocals that almost sound like they could be vocoder-based, but really aren't. Help to add a more esoteric atmosphere to this EP and really balances it out. Quite good.

Sthygma - Act 2: Khalimäa (1997)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1997

1. Mean Serenity
2. A Breath In the Night
3. Soulfragment
4. Sir Misery
5. The Split
6. Sthygma

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Act 2 is Sthygma's second and final offering, this time a full-length. Well, sorta. Turns out the last song, which is over 15 minutes long, is just the EP all mashed together in one song. So consider this a second EP. On this record, it seems a bit heavier, and the vocals are also a little deeper and more what you'd expect from Death Metal. The same chanting backing vocals are here, as well, making this practically a continuation from Act 1, which makes sense, considering they're called Act 1 and Act 2. Although it is odd how they tacked Act 1 on the end of this, Act 2, going in reverse order, signifying regression? I dunno, and now I'm just rambling, so enough of my mindless babble, go get this!