Celtic Frost - 1984 fukkin RAW Rehearsals (bootleg)

Celtic Frost - 1984 fukkin RAW Rehearsals bootleg 2012(?)
1) Messiah
2) Visions of Mortality
3) Procreation of the Wicked
4) Morbid Tales
5) Dethroned Emperor
6) Return to the Eve

Depositfiles / Rusfolder

If this band needs an introduction I'm quite sure you're reading the wrong blog. Actually you shouldn't even be on the internet. Or this planet. Now that's been taken care of, back to the item: here's another tape ripped by the contributor mentioned on the previous post, thank you good sir, and a quite rare wandering off the usual 90's (ok sometimes 00's too) fare of the blog. But Celtic Frost are awesome enough to cause exceptions to happen... and if this bootleg tape actually was released last year or so, the average comes within the usual range of the Coven. Rejoice! To be honest I'd wander more often to the 80's except that I don't have really anything that wouldn't have been bootlegged or uploaded elsewhere a hundred times already. But that's enough about that. Includes a scan of the cover, which has preciously little information but enough for a bootleg I suppose.

The title describes the content quite accurately enough, though it's not that raw, certainly rough compared to album sound but not so raw as to merit all caps. If you've heard (of course you have!) Hellhammer demos and enjoy them (how could you not?!?) you'll be just fine with the sound here. Automatic recommendation and no need to write anything else, start downloading.

Hastur Evocation - When Bestial Moans Compose a Sweet Symphony demo 1996

Hastur Evocation - When Bestial Moans Compose a Sweet Symphony demo 1996
1) Intro (Angel's Cry)
2) When Bestial Moans Compose a Sweet Symphony
3) Hastur
4) Convict Soul

Yandex / Rusfolder

Another contribution, this time metal. Quite recently I got a bunch of tape rips from a reader who wished to remain anonymous so thank you, you know who you are. This is now the first of them, his rip which I separated into tracks, very good sound and no glitches or tape damage. Includes a scan of the covers too.

Hastur Evocation was an Italian band formed by three young (16 to 18 years at the time) guys and as far as I know released only this one demo. No relation to their slightly better known country mates Hastur. Music here is melodic, atmospheric sort of black/death metal which sounds better than expected! Or am I getting soft? It's not as mellow as you'd might expect and the dual vocal work is also decent (black metal main voice supported by death growls), musicianship ok, sound good and lyrics bearable. Well, the demo title is pretty awful. The track "Hastur", naturally, is Lovecraft inspired in case someone out there tracks down bands/releases/tracks like that. Have a listen for yourself and come back yelling I've lost it.

Help needed, Norwegians apply!

Ok, this is not one of the usual posts, this time I require assistance. If you speak norwegian you might be able to help. I need your help to figure out what this title is supposed to be really:

 "Byskup bammopvd bloodhevn"
- that's closest to anything intelligible I managed to figure out from the hand writing of the tracklisting, made by a person who certainly didn't know any norwegian. What the hell could the middle word be? I'm not sure about the letters, actually all were wrong but I'm pretty sure last word is figured out, first might not be. What I'm trying to sort out here is the second track of a Norwegian band Rune's, which I haven't found any info whatsoever on the internet, self titled demo 1995. So if you know anything about that it'd be helpful too. I'd like to post it but not without knowing what the hell the second track is supposed to be. All help is appreciated!!! Leave a comment or send mail if you have useful info.

Wintergods / Funebre Inferi - Strigoi / DeathCult 96

Wintergods / Funebre Inferi - Strigoi / DeathCult 96 Split Cassette 1997
Wintergods:
1) Ancient Temple In Carpathian Mountains
2) Ritual Of The Black Priest (Panselinos)
3) ...At The Age Before The Heaven
Funebre Inferi:
4) Marching In Graveyards / Haunted Skull Of The Profanated Grave
5) Lost Sorcerers In The Pyre

Depositfiles / Mediafire

I'm fulfilling a request today. Unusually fast too. Comrade Zomvkiv Vlhorvnel asked for this split in the recent Wintergods compilation track post and I told him I'd see if I found a download link for him. My quick search found only dead links so I thought I might as well upload someones rip I have here. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly the rip did not include cover scans nor could I find a good one online so I used someone's picture of the cassette, I think I grabbed this from some distro's list (it was sold out but still on the list). At least it has the right proportions, unlike the one that usually passes for this cover.

Something about the content. You're already most likely familiar with about 60% of the content if you've downloaded the stuff here and here. Only difference in the Funebre Inferi part is that this version has intro "Marching..." and "Haunted Skull..." (apparently spelling fixed from "scull" used on the demo itself!) as single track and the rip of course is different. I don't think anything was done to the recording, at the most the master tape was more worn by the time they did this split. In the odd chance you haven't heard FI before, they (or more like him) played black metal in the Hellenic underground way, see the old posts for further details. Wintergods' first track differs only a little in sound (and title) from the compilation version and this is due dub or rip, most likely former. Second track "Ritual..." features prominent piano backed by synth and accompanied by the vocals shifting from whispering (approved) to clear, spoken sort (okay) and supported by effect-laden whispers half way to black metal croak (not sure if want). Nice piece. Third on starts dramatic and unfortunately with more croaky effect-filtered voices. If they had just normal whispers or nothing instead this would be at least 125% better! There are spoken bits later but it's mostly this. The track is still good but those vocals really distract me. Similar to my issue with the 3rd Lamentation demo which is essentially ruined by the use of vocals. Oh well, enough writing, start downloading and see if you enjoy these sounds.

Mists of Darkness - The Lightless Lands demo 1995

Mists of Darkness - The Lightless Lands demo 1995
1) Act 1 - Journey to the Lightless Lands
2) Act 2 - Encompassed Mystery
3) Act 3 - The First Vision of the Lightless Lands
4) Act 4 - Death of Tranquility
5) Unreleased Track  (bonus)

Yandex / Rusfolder

We must go deeper into non-metal material. Here's another contribution and a quite recent one for change, sent to me by brother Wehrwolf early this month - thank you, appreciated! We're now heading down under and explore Mists of Darkness, a quite obscure synth project who as far as I know released only this one demo and the untitled, unreleased track added as bonus here. As many other such projects, this was a one-man effort, done by a guy called Steve who was an associate of Abyssic Hate's Shane. Speaking of which, included is also an interview from Shane's Eternal Damnation 'zine. And cover scans too!

Music here is gloomy and quite oppressive dark ambient, clearly pointing out the project's connection to the black metal scene. However, some of the tracks have strong similarity to dungeon synth too, mostly the more "active" ones like the first and third for example. Sound is ok, it's all a bit murky but that is a characteristic of the music more than a result of recording conditions and/or equipment methinks. Parts of the recording almost stand still, slowly floating in a black lightless pool, while other parts are more active with percussion, sometimes steadily trudging a winding path downwards with a militant pace yet occasionally getting an almost frantic feel to it, like something indescribable clawing its way out of a pit filled with ragged human remains and yet other parts have a serene yet active quality to them, like the breathing of a dead god, dreaming to the soft chants of insane spirits... looks like I need more coffee or sleep, why don't you take a listen to this now?

Messier - Unreleased Tracks 1997/98

Messier - Unreleased Tracks 1997/98
1) Vaateleivad
2) Seal surm neile kel kõrv
3) Suur valaskala. Katkend

RGhost / Mediafire

Here's a little more Messier, you remember them from last month I presume? As before, contributed by Mihkel Kleis, thank you! This recording is 2½ unreleased tracks, he wasn't sure when these were recorded but definitely before the second demo (which was done in autumn 1998) so circa 1997/98 anyways. Obviously no cover for these. Track 2 is familiar from older recordings, here again little different.

These have a decent sound, recorded probably in rehearsal conditions, but so was the material on the first demo too so it's entirely comparable. The recording of the first track sounds a little different so it might be from another session, no idea of the truth. Last track would appear to cut a little, unless it was an actual choice to fade it away like it does. Not much more to add really, if you liked the previous recordings you might enjoy this too.

Stormblast #2-3

Stormblast Magazine, double issue 2-3 (1999)
Interviews:
Abigor
Graveland
Setherial
Kampfar
Noctu
Limbonic Art
Osculum Infame
Absurd
Whispers in the Shadows
Bifrost/Guido Hammerheart
Damnation Productions
Night Conquers Day
Thor's Hammer
Gotmoor
Enthroned
Christophe Szpajdel
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
Thorns/Bard Faust - reprint from Rites of Eleusis #2
Darkthrone - reprint from Rites of Eleusis #2
Profanum
L'amê immortelle
...And Oceans
Tartaros (hol)
Blackdeath
Unlord
Iconoclasm (bel)
Majestic (nor)
Cirith Gorgor
+ articles/bios, reviews, Summoning "Dol Guldur" partial lyrics etc...

Yandex

I recently promised comrade Kurgan I'd post 'zines. Here we go, this is pretty huge-ass one, the double issue of the Dutch fanzine Stormblast, from the very late 90's when part of the scene got sorta back onto track in several ways from the awful state of late mid-90's. Well not all, obviously. This is a dodgy one as it embraces various pagan (read NS) attitudes and pagan mentalities (often read as almost black metal) while featuring surprisingly open-minded roster of bands and not actually subscribing to anything. It's really a little confusing effort, not helped by the experiments with fonts running amok and whatnot and in my opinion silly reprints of interviews (not with the original lay-out) from much vaunted Rites of Eleusis 'zine whose main merit, if I may offer a cynical opinion, was that it was made by a female in a most... well completely male dominated scene. At least these two interviews are not really much to write home about. They're actually pretty crappy. Funny enough the ones made by the staff range from very good ( a few) to ok (most of the rest).

The articles included are, besides the usual more-or-less expanded bios and silly "humour" (Cradle of Clowns - you might guess what parody) "Art: Folkish or Egocentric?" by Kerry Bolton, "Nature Magick and Being part 4 - Path Between Worlds" by Fraternitas Loki, "The Third Reich Runic Revival (excerpt)" by Garth Kelston, "The Thule Society part 6: Philosphical and Esoteric Roots" by Damian Boydbearn. So plenty of Bælder stuff and other things to make the Germans really uncomfortable. Of course a ton of reviews is included. It's interesting how they appear almost as a NS 'zine but not quite going all the way, I guess the "pagan black metal" thing is what they most went for, except for the odd... well odd, interviews. Interesting read despite the stupid font experiments making a few interviews a pain. And you don't see a yellow cover everyday do you?