Sarcastic Existence - Judgement of the Dead (1992)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Switzerland
Year: 1992

1. Intro/Senseless War
2. Tombs of Terror
3. Brain Devastation
4. Extreme Living Conditions
5. Die Schmuzige Hand am WC-Fenster
6. Ott Laughed (We Cried...)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Not sure where I dug this one up; I was just roaming through my library one day and came across this, gave it a listen and was blown away. The first thing that struck me was the brilliant use of over-the-top riffing. Some of these leads are so gosh darn catchy it's too much! Most of it is very fast-paced, and while MA lists them as Death/Thrash, I can't say I agree, since this is much darker and full of that bitter hatred Thrash could never achieve.

Excellent drumming, and upon random inspection, I noticed that Peter Ott was the drummer! I had been in contact with this guy a few months back about a few things and had no idea he was the drummer in such an obscure Swiss band! Hell, he's from Germany I think. Great guy, with an absolutely MASSIVE collection, so if you'd like contact info, I'm sure he'd be delighted to hear from you.

"Tombs of Terror" is probably the highlight of this demo--it's also the longest and most involved, ranging in elements from slow, plodding doom to rapid, cutting Death Metal of the intensest degree. Expect fantastic solos and riffing that keeps beating you down into the ground! Recommended!

Sickening Gore - Destructive Reality (1994)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Switzerland
Year: 1994

1. Ancestral Hate
2. Blood For Tears
3. Obscene Existence
4. Massacre Of Innocents
5. Free Of Conscience
6. Covered In Blood
7. Psychopathic Butchery
8. Suppression Of Being

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

See that sticker on the album art? Yeah, that pretty much sums up this album. Except for the grind part. Not really grindy at all. But oh well, most people can't distinguish between black and death metal. How unfortunate. On to the review! Sickening Gore play a style of metal that is described perfectly by their band name. This is some very heavy, fast-paced, and unrelenting Death Metal, ready and willing to kick your ass any time of the day. Seems that with the name change, they decided to go a more straight-forward DM route, rather than flirting with progression and experimentation. However, they do what they do well, and it is evidenced by the 30 minutes of pure, unadulterated, bone-shattering destruction. The guitars sound much fuller, and seem to surround you while the vocals do their thing, flattening you like a pancake. It's a team effort when it comes to squashing the listener like a bug. The riffing is much more pronounced than in the demo, with some emphasis on chaotic solos. It's also interesting to note that this is a rather quick full-length, and that their Reactor demo was actually longer! Regardless, this is one for the ages, and will undoubtedly withstand the test of time. Recommended.

Reactor - The Tribunal Above (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Switzerland
Year: 1991

1. Intro/Deformed Personality
2. Near Dark
3. The Tribunal Above
4. Religious Fight
5. Circle Of Eternity [Cut Off...]

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

—————————————————————

Reactor was the previous incarnation of the great Sickening Gore. Having released only this lone demo before changing their name, they certainly pulled out all the stops. Clocking in at an incredible 34 minutes for a demo, and only five songs, you can expect some intricately performed Death Metal on this piece, and that is exactly what you get. Amazingly developed and well-performed Death Metal for a first effort, Reactor definitely grasp the whole idea of 'song structure' and utilize their creative genius to create longer-than-normal songs that take you on a complex journey. I'd even go as far as to call this Progressive Metal because of how the songs are written, with their spacey interludes and tempo changes.

This demo is host to one of my all-time favorite introductions, starting off in the distance and ambient, slowly building apocalyptic atmosphere before unleashing the beginning of "Deformed Personality". Can't get over how smooth the transition was and how goddamn well these songs were written. The production is not what you'd expect from a first demo; it's really good, and everything is in balance, although the vocals seem a bit loud in the mix at times. The drumming is fast and furious, with constant double bass and fast-paced snare hits to keep the songs moving along at a decent speed. The guitars have a great tone to them, but unfortunately don't stand out as much as the vocals and drumming. Not a problem though, as they get the job done. The vocals are awesome. Most of the time we'll hear a death grunt, but more often than not, you'll hear apocalyptic yelling in the background, like the guy's falling off a cliff and screaming "NOOOOOoooooooo" all the way down. Sounds really good, even if he's not actually saying anything. Totally rcommended.