Necroccultus - Supreme Occult One...The Underworld Abhorrence (2006)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Mexico
Year: 2006

1. Supreme Occult One (Intro)/In The Darkest Region Of Dead
2. The Underworld Abhorrence

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Credits to KeithM for the find!

Hailing from Mexico, Necroccultus are a new and upcoming band with a hell of a lot of potential. This is just one EP from their already outstanding discography. Drawing influence from acts like Immolation, Necroccultus plays fast and furious evil-sounding Death Metal, with suffocating vocals. Not quite a guttural and a little easier on the ears, but still doesn't falter the least in creating a noisy atmosphere of destruction. Very riff-heavy, focusing on tremolo picking, brace yourself for 13 minutes of ass-kicking!

Visceral Evisceration - Rehearsal 1994 (Unreleased Tracks) (1994)

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Austria
Year: 1994

1. Unreleased Rehearsal Track
2. Butchered Magnificence
3. Impassioned Arousal (Jam Session)
4. Chewing Female Genital Parts (Stoned Accoustic Reh.)
5. I Am Enamoured (Of Dead Bodies) (Reh.)
6. Chewing Female Genital Parts (Reh.)
7. Tender Flesh... on the Bier (Reh.)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Just when you thought you had it all... here's one more thing for the truly dedicated Visceral Evisceration fan: a rehearsal tape containing seven full recordings from rehearsal sessions during September/October of 1994, after the full-length was released.

Included are two more unreleased tracks, one untitled, and the other "Butchered Magnificence". Both sound more like what you'd expect from Visceral Evisceration, compared to the other rehearsals on this blog, probably due to the fact that these are later recordings, after they settled into their sound. In fact, there is a possibility that those other rehearsals aren't even Visceral Evisceration, although they certainly sound like them, and there's no denying the "Gangling Menstrual Blood-Broth for Supper" rehearsal track.

The first unreleased track is very riff oriented, while the second focuses more on drumming.

But wait, there's more! Also on this tape is an earlier recording of the song "Impassioned Arousal" from the Promo 1995, and an acoustic version of "Chewing Female Genital Parts". They were possibly stoned, although I've been told that they didn't usually smoke at their rehearsals. Regardless, an incredibly interesting take on this classic song.

Closing out the rehearsal are rehearsed versions of the two songs that weren't featured on the 1993 demo Savour of the Seething Meat, and what appears to be their favorite track, "Tender Flesh... on the Bier".

You're welcome.

Embalmed Souls - Six Rites of Possession (2009)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Brazil
Year: 2009

1. Infection to the Holy Temple
2. Wings of Abomination
3. Circle of Utopia
4. Bury Your Faith
5. Priest of Divine Illusion
6. Purified by Hungry Vermins
7. Dawn of Agony
8. Battle Against Celestial Slaves
9. Forget the Commandments
10. Under the Sign of Ressurrection
11. Revelations in the Darkness

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Released just a few months ago, Paulo from Embalmed Souls noticed that I had featured the band's other demos on this blog, and was kind enough to send me a copy of their latest demo "Six Rites of Possession" as a form of promotion. This is going to be a "megapost" in that I'll not only review and post the demo, but I will also upload pictures and inserts that came with the release, as well as flyers and other paraphernalia that was sent to me. I highly recommend that you all get into contact with Paulo (who manages the band's email and mail), as he is a very nice guy and open-minded, willing to trade and talk about music.

I have ripped this in a beautiful 320 kbps, and if you'd like it in any other format, just give me a holler. Included on this demo are not only their newest six songs (tracks 1-6), but also the five tracks from their 2005 demo "The Temple of Bizarre Cult" (tracks 7-11).

REVIEW
All of Embalmed Souls' music is recorded live to, and I quote Paulo, "keep our music nearest to the most natural sound possible". I personally love it this way, as you know there are no funky things going on; just pure, raw Death Metal in the most lively and unadulterated form out there. Very reminiscent of the older days of old school metal and quite the refreshing listen.

Much like their previous releases, Embalmed Souls continue with their dark and arcane style of crushing Death Metal, filled with an overwhelming sense of impending destruction. Very heavy, full-sounding, and fast-paced, Six Rites of Possession doesn't let up once and again I get the feeling (only this band manages it) that I'm being chased through never-ending corridors by some enigma, oozing darkness and doom. The vocals are dirty gutturals, complementing the music perfectly. Evil prevails over all other atmospheric elements presented here. Gravely riffs saturate the release, and Embalmed Souls continue with yet another brilliantly impressive demo to keep Death Metal alive. If only others would follow in the footsteps left behind by these guys, the future of metal would be a much brighter and promising place. If only...

Alright, here are some scans of artwork and other miscellanea I have acquired.

Back cover


Front of the insert


Back of the insert


Flyer for Six Rites of Possession


Flyer for demo The Temple of Bizarre Cult


Flyer for the "Live at Art Underground" DVD


Order demos and arrange trades:

Embalmed Souls
Caixa Postal 8062
Sudoeste Brasília-DF
70673-970
BRAZIL

souls666@terra.com.br
embalmedsouls@gmail.com

Please keep in mind that Paulo and Embalmed Souls are very understanding and open to negotiations. So if you're interested in acquiring some of this material, don't hesitate to contact Paulo at the email addresses provided and work out a price or even a trade. They're not about the money, it's all about spreading the music they love to make and keeping metal alive the best they can.

So please, support this band by giving their music a shot, listening, and enjoying it!

You can find links to all their other demos that I posted here.

Decerebration - My Inner Impurity (1995)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Canada
Year: 1995

1. Blood Shed
2. Virtual Brutality
3. Vengenceful Divinities
4. Rejected into Suicide
5. And She's no More
6. Stolen Conscience

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Straight out of the frozen tundra that is Canada comes some very intense Death Metal. I wouldn't quite call it Brutal DM, but there are elements such as the grunted vocals that add to this demo's ass-kicking brutality. Everything is out in full force on this demo: the drums, vocals, and guitars. Very fast-paced, the drummer does an excellent job of keeping up with the music, supplying copious blast beats and just impressive drumming overall. You can tell this guy knows what he's doing. But the highlight is definitely the riffing and the guitars. Fast, pummeling riffs (not thrashy) pulverize the listener, repeatedly jabbing deeper and deeper until nothing's left, systematically tearing down any barrier that the listener has braced himself with. Recommended.

Anathemized - Disdain (1994)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Poland
Year: 1994

1. Gates of Light
2. Beyond
3. An Old Wise Man
4. Clouds of Pride
5. Anathemized
6. My Temple
7. Religious Insanity
8. Inremembrance

Download at 4shared
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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More Death Metal from Poland! Obscure band, only released a few demos, and if anybody has anything else from Anathemized, please share!

A fairly heavy, satisfying slab of dirty Death Metal, this is sure to please any fan of OSDM. Slow, murky, rumbling riffs are key here, and the production gives the demo a feel that it was recorded underwater in the fog. Very cool, adding to the dark and mysterious atmosphere. Guttural rasps are utilized and blend very smoothly with the music. Nothing about this release is grating in any way and is very easy on the ears. We occasionally hear the bass burst through the muck. Overall a damned fine demo that just sounds good. Recommended.

Cremation - Quilquish Septicemia (1989)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1989

1. The Embalming (Intro)
2. Cremation
3. Quilquish Septicemia
4. Remains of Death
5. Evil Dead (Death cover)
6. The Scattering (Outro)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I'm constantly digging around for really old school stuff, so when I came across this 1989 hidden gem, I was quite pleased. This was originally recorded as a rehearsal, then sort of half-officially released as a demo. The sound isn't too bad, but, as with most rehearsals, the vocals are really muffled and barely audible. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since they can sometimes be downright pants-shittingly scary, especially when the vocalist really lets loose a primitive shriek like at 3:18 in the song "Cremation" and the beginning of the title track.

Often flirting with Doom, there are slow, ambling sections, but also thrashy paced up-beat parts with lively riffs. Demos like these are my favorite because instrumentation is focused on a lot more, instead of being overpowered with vocals. You're free to bask in the great guitarwork here. Recommended.

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)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
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.

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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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.

Absurd Existence - Silence (1993)

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

1. Intro/Gates of Nemesis
2. Silence
3. Earth Rape
4. Myself in You
5. Theds
6. Psychopatic phobia

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Hailing from Germany, Absurd Existence play a very melodic and melancholic style of Doom/Death, reminiscent of Visceral Evisceration. I'm not saying they sound anything like VE, but there are those occasional piercing riffs that just make your spine shiver and your mouth salivate. I much prefer the approach on the full-length, mainly because the production is better. For this style of music, clean production is a must, and the muddled feel of "Silence" kinda takes away from the epic feel that you should be experiencing. Also, the vocals are a bit high in the mix, sometimes drowning out the beautiful guitar work. Still, the vocals themselves are fantastic and very raspy, perfect for the doomy goodness encapsulated within them. There are also some more wild higher-pitched growls as well! Great demo, and something different. Look out for their full-length!

Absurd Existence - Angelwings (1994)

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Germany
Year: 1994

1. Sorrow
2. Black Sun
3. Beyond All Beauty
4. Dawn Of Lies
5. ...And We Dream
6. At The Gates Of Nemesis
7. Ode To The Setting Sun
8. Silence
9. Carried By The Wings Of An Angel

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Back again, with their only full-length, entitled "Angelwings", these Germans created one hell of a masterpiece. Even more melodic than their demo (didn't think that was possible), these guys really know how to write riffs and write them well. My ears keep telling me I'm listening to Visceral Evisceration and Rapture, but there are also original elements to the music, making this stand out over those pansy melodeath bands. Still retaining their Doom/Death genre, it feels like the melody is separated from the music itself, which sounds funky, but it actually works very well. There are alternating sections between downtuned riffing and slow, sludgy Death Metal, and also parts that are basically minute long guitar solos, making for some very nice contrast. They have an orgasmic habit of slowing the music down, then speeding it up while turning on the riffing making some sections completely overwhelming in the best way possible. My heart begins to race and I just want MORE! Recommended.

Ahrimah - Ain Soph Aur (1994)

Genre: Progressive/Avant-Garde Death Metal
Country: Poland
Year: 1994

1. Hazmanah Or Zarna (Introduction)
2. De Carne Christi
3. Azagthoth
4. Pain Of Recognition
5. Veni Creator Spiritus
6. Euronymous
7. First Thing First...
8. Rite Of Heliogabal/Heliogabal Conquest of Paradise (Outroduction)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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This demo is freakin' awesome. Been on heavy rotation for the past couple weeks and for good reason! At a long and involving 30 minutes, there is no skimping on material here, and what's even more amazing is that every song has its own identity? None of this blurs together into one long mess of a song, but each track has its own quirks and unique aura that completely destroys other demos at the time. Seriously, this is something special in that it contains everything you could ever want in "eclectic" Death Metal, and I might even go as far as to label this Progressive, or even Avant-Garde!

The first song is when it hits you, when this bizarre Middle-Eastern melody springs out of nowhere, and immediately I check Metal Archives to see what Middle-Eastern country they're from and then I see they hail from Poland! What!? The odd experimentation leaps and bounds its way all throughout Ain Soph Aur, with strange jazzy parts, soothing instrumental interludes, crazy riffs, slow doomy and upbeat thrashy parts, rad bass lines, spacey psychedelic sections, atmospheric palm-muted bits, holy shit the list goes on! If you were to listen to one song, go for "Pain of Recognition".

And the vocals! Not your typical death grunt/growl, these are more in beat with the instrumentation and sound like they almost groove to the music at parts, while spoken words pop up here and there on a couple tracks, creating one hell of a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.

I can't possibly recommend this enough!

Doom Formation - Definition of EVIL (1995)

Genre: (Brutal) Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 1995

1. The Ways Of The Dead
2. Visions Of Ungodly Dreams
3. Morbid Catastrophic Fear
4. Gleuben EVIL

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I don't know anything about this band, or even where I came across this recording... but I thought I'd throw this out to the internet world. Doom Formation only released this single demo in 1995, and then split up, although they appear to have a Myspace, even though it's not listed on MA and seems a little suspicious, evidence suggests there was another split or album in the works. You can listen to another song there.

On to the music. Pretty straightforward, in your face death metal with touches in grind and brutal territory, most notably in the blasting and vocal style. Very professional sounding, and the riffs are tight and well-crafted. Neat little demo from a time lost ages ago!

Nyarlathotep - Slub Lorth in Eternal Rest (2001)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Funeral Doom/Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 2001

1. An Empire Destined To Crumble
2. Birth of Gol

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Very little is known about Nyarlathotep, except that it was a side project of the fellows from The Red Chord and that they changed their name to Stomach Earth.

However, they managed to release a two-song demo back in 2001, and my socks were blown off at first listen. Playing Funeral Death/Doom in the vein of greats such as Evoken and Catacombs, this is a real treat on the ears. Often utilizing keyboards, I get the overwhelming sense of impending doom and that the walls of my sanity are collapsing beneath me. Fantastic atmosphere, and a really gripping release, all the way through, even though their style of music is painfully slow-paced. The first track is a little more orthodox in the style, rarely incorporating strange elements, but then the second song knocks down all boundaries and all hell breaks loose. Keyboards come out blazing from the very beginning, and the deep guttural vocals just rip you to shreds. Then, a little more than halfway into the song, some crazy Avant-Garde shit is employed and you start wondering where the hell this is going next! I even heard a violin and a flute. Bizarre stuff, but totally up my alley. Tremendous and highly recommended. I could see myself listening to this over and over again.

Eructation - Demo 1992 (1992)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1992

1. Day of Confusion
2. Foul Feast
3. Consider to Die

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Whoa. Okay. This is probably the best demo from 1992. Everything about Eructation's Demo 1992 is absolutely perfect. Swedish brilliance of the highest degree.

The first thing you'll notice when listening is that the production is flawless. Very clean and full-sounding for a one-demo band, having released this mere demo way back in '92. All the instruments can be clearly heard, and it seems each and every part of this band gets their shot in the limelight throughout the course of this short demo. The guitars are the main highlight with their superb riffing. As you may already know, a lot of old school DM focus on the art of the riff, but Eructation take it to a whole new level (well, at the time). It seems like the basic foundation is built upon addictive riffs and very powerful, energetic hooks. Upon first listen, my mouth dropped open out of sheer disbelief. It just didn't add up, but here it is, destroying my ears as I post.

The bass player also gets his chance at some glory, especially toward the end of "Day of Confusion". He really goes wild with some fantastic bass..ing. In addition to these unheard-of techniques back in 1992, there are quite a few bizarre chunks to the demo. Mostly in the first song, there are these weird robot-like clean spoken vocals and during "Foul Feast", we're hit with this WTF sound effect. Just listen to this shit; my words don't do it justice.

Recommended to the highest degree.

RIFFS

Korsakov - Hangover Heroes (1989)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Netherlands
Year: 1989

1. Criptic Sin
2. Hangover Heroes
3. Disgustor
4. Ripping Silence
5. Korsakov
6. Before Beer
7. Doomsday Messiah

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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I had been meaning to post these demos for some time now, but since they were brought up in the shoutbox, may as well do it now! However, I only have the first two demos...

Korsakov embody what it means to play Death/Thrash. Hell, in their official logo, the word "DEATHRASH" is imprinted in the corner, and they certainly do it well! Very heavy and dirty with the production, this is some furious music. Often keeping up the pace, even during the times where it seems like the song should be slower, you can be sure that the assault on your ears coming from this band will not disappoint. Very thrashy riffs, these guys are having fun playing this awesome music, and that make the demo that much more enjoyable. The vocals fit very well with the music; they're not growls or yells, but in between. A very slobbery-sounding style that complements the gritty production.

Korsakov - Radiation Exposure (1991)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Country: Netherlands
Year: 1991

1. Merryscary (Intro)
2. Worldwar Thirdteen
3. Burning Corpses
4. Sanctified Mears
5. City At War
6. Procreate Doom
7. Charred Remains (Cover Gods Autopsy)

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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The second demo from the Holland deathrashers is slightly different in style when compared to their debut. It's largely more tame and seems to be slowed down a little, especially on "Burning Corpse". It actually gets to be a little doomy at parts! Still, the quick riffs are there and the general evil vibe is still present. Oh, they keep it fun as well. Just listen to the intro and you'll see that these guys are all laughs, out there to make awesome music for awesome people (you and me).

Production is bumped up a few notches, and doesn't sound as dirty. Actually leans more towards a thrash album than anything. The vocal craft has been perfected as well, and the vocalist sounds just like Autopsy! There's a reason to grab this!

If anybody can hook me up with their third demo "Prolong the Agony", it would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: I have acquired the third demo; will post soon.

Broken Fear - Beyond The... (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 1991

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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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.

Cemetery Earth - Here Rest Remains From Centuries of Demise (1992)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 1992

1. Slow Inevitable Decrepus
2. Mortuary Science
3. The Plight of Cartaphyllis
4. Tormented by Apparitions

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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First post in a week, and I apologize for that, but allow me to make it up to you by introducing you all to something that is relatively obscure and unknown to a lot of people.

I always find great interest in little bands that never managed to make it past the demo stages, especially those who only released a single demo. Recorded in 1992, and out of the US (!), this band didn't gain much attention at all. Even after a name change to Mourn Thy Passing, nothing changed. If anything, they became even more unknown, because as far as I can tell, nothing ever resulted from this new band.

Anyway, onto the demo itself. This is raw, dirty, and gritty death metal; a perfect representation of the pinnacle of old school death metal. The production is just shoddy enough to allow for that messy feel, but also keeping the musical instrumentation intact. Nothing is overly sloppy or chaotic, and a very controlled demo for its sound. Often traversing in doom territory, we're hit with suberb and lively riffs that help break up the gloomy atmosphere (the name is partly responsible for that). Plus, the intro and outro are just too cool. Recommended!

College

Hey guys, sorry about the inconvenience, but I'm currently in the process of moving into college at the University of Connecticut and settling in. Therefore, I will be taking a brief hiatus from posting for the moment until I am situated. Shouldn't be more than a few days, though!

Thanks for all your support.

Paroxia - Paroxia (1992-1994)

No Artwork

Genre: Old School Death Metal
Country: Bulgaria
Year: Unknown

1. Vechen Ad
2. Nenormalnost
3. Degradiral Zakon

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Credits to entity over at Pile of Remains for this hidden gem.

I am particularly fascinated with this demo, because absolutely zero information exists about this band anywhere on the internet. They are not in the Metal Archives, don't have a Myspace page, I created their Last.fm page, and their name isn't so much as even mentioned anywhere at all, except for this blog and entity's. Hell, I don't even know the title to this demo or what year it was released in. All we know is that a band named Paroxia released these three tracks, and that's it. Nothing else. Very mysterious.

Anyway, onto the music. For being so unheard of, this music is actually quite good. The main style is rather chunky with a decent amount of speed and ferocity in both the instrumentation and the vocals. The guitars are lively with solos and choppy riffs, along with what seems to be some jazz influence thrown in there for good measure. A very energetic piece of music, and I certainly hope to, at the very least, discover more information about Paroxia!

Enigmatic - Two Days of April (1993)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1993

1. The Tabular Bells Symphony
2. Fear of the Dead
3. The Master of Dreams
4. Dishonest Belief

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Some relatively obscure Death/Doom from Sweden, this band managed to release two EPs and a demo. Unfortunately, I'm only able post this, their first EP, but I should be able to procure the demo some time in the future. As for the last release, The Tranquilled Icy Water, I have no leads whatsoever. So if a reader has that EP, kindly send it to me!

On to the music. Quality Death/Doom with the occasional grinding part, illustrated by fast double bass and quick drumming, then collapsing back into slow, unwavering doomy goodness. An interesting aspect behind this album is the vocal style. It's your typical death grunt/guttural, but with a twist. This EP was obviously edited heavily, as it seems like the growls sort of overlap into each other, giving this a very fluid sound. It seems like the vocalist is pulling off some amazing feat where he growls for minutes on end. Cool stuff, and reminds me slightly of early Incantation. Killer music and definitely worth a download.

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!

Scypozoa - Signs from the Erratic Past (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1991

1. Ceremonized
2. The Return of the Hovey
3. Darkness
4. The Path

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Scypozoa were an old band out of Sweden, forming at around the same time of other small acts in the area. Unfortunately, their fate was the same as most of those other bands: short and sweet. Having only released two demos, the members called it quits and went on to work with other bands.

The first thing that struck me was the killer vocal performance. This guy has the same messy style that vocalists like Chris Reifert, albeit much deeper and coarser. You could actually understand Reifert, but this just sounds like he's drooling all over himself, spewing classic Death Metal lyrics at the listener, and I love it! Gives the demo a very free sound. Overall a well-produced demo; everything in line here, nothing rising too far out of the mix, with the vocals, guitars, and drums all taking turns standing out throughout the songs. It has a thrashy side, and some of the quick, sharp riffs are indicative of that. A damned fine demo, and truly deserving of more attention.

Scypozoa - Diary (1992)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1992

1. Diary
2. Until The World Is Blind
3. Compensation

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Scypozoa's second effort, this time more of a promo, in the hopes of attracting a record label to sign with. It seems as though their first demo did the trick, and this was to seal the dea. However, this promo is... admittedly worse than the demo. I'm not saying it's bad, but it just seemed like all the things that were so likable about the first demo sort of disappeared, and we're left with two somewhat different releases. The vocals have changed, and seem a bit tamer, which might appeal to some, but not to me after Signs from the Erratic Past. You can still count on those riffs, though, and while they've lost some of that thrashy edge and have developed more into full-on Death Metal riffs, they definitely slay quite nicely. Some stuff is the same, some is different, but apparently wasn't enough to garner any attention! A valuable addition to any 'kvlt' collection!

Obscene - Grotesque Experience (1990)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 1990

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

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives
Last.fm

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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.