Strigoi Mort - Promo/demo 1996

Strigoi Mort (fin) - Promo/demo I 1996
1) Chapter One (Darkness & Despair)
2) Chapter Two (Witchcraft, Lady Lilith)

Reuploaded

Strigoi Mort was a short-lived project by Kyprian's Circle mastermind Kyprian Nurmi and as far as I know released only this one tape. Which I received, with cover scans, from comrade Grev. Thanks once again! Dubbed from his original tape to me, the sound and dub quality are good. However, the low sound volume of the original tape is quite notable. I decided against upping the volume too much as this amplifies the hissing and other "tape ambiance" too much.

Music on this short (just over 8 minutes) demo is slow and atmospheric metal, different enough from his main band to justify a separate project. The percussion is provided by a session member, other instruments and the clean-ish vocals are performed by Kyprian himself. The vocals are not the best I've heard but they do their job and the style fits the music. Recommended for fans of Kyprian's Circle and atmospheric music.

Cruachan - Live in Cork 26.03.1994

Cruachan - Live in Cork, Ireland 26th March 1994
1) Fall of Gondolin
2) Maeves' March
3) (Unknown)
4) The First Battle of Moytura
5) Scéal Na Fienna
6) Cúchulainn
7) Tir No Bréagah

Reuploaded

I'm off to see live music tonight and to celebrate that I'm posting a recording of Cruachan's 1994 gig. This performance dates between the release of their "Celtica" demo and the signing with Nazgul's Eyrie Productions who then released the debut album "Tuatha Na Gael" in Beltaine 1995. An audience recording which I got from one of my tape traders, the sound is as you might guess less than stellar. It's a bit messy at times and especially Keith's more extreme vocals bleed all over the place in some of the songs. Yet I think it's still clear enough to be enjoyed if you're a fan of early Cruachan. Dub & rip quality are as good as can be with the source material.

I didn't receive a tracklisting with this so I was forced to try to figure out the titles all by myself. Despite my valiant efforts I couldn't figure out what track 3 is - even with him introducing it after Maeves' March! I just don't understand what he says. Any corrections and identification of the third track are welcomed!

Mustan Kuun Lapset - Varjomaa demo II 1997

Mustan Kuun Lapset - Varjomaa demo II 1997
1) Intro: Isfri
2) Tuonela
3) The Dream About Dying Angel
4) I Shall Wither
5) Valkoiseen

Mediafire

Here is the second demo of the Finnish dark metal band Mustan Kuun Lapset, now unfortunately disbanded. Another dub courtesy of Grev (thanks!) and he also scanned the covers. Which didn't really come out too clear, to be honest. Well, that can't be helped, it's the music that counts anyway!

Dubbed to me from an original tape, the quality is good and so is the sound on the demo itself. The music has some black metal influences but I'd really call this dark metal or even melodic death metal. Somehow this sounds more similar to the full-lenght albums than the MCD and split that followed. I guess they sounded more black metal. Recommended if you like other MKL stuff!

Ritual (us) - Advance Tracks 1995

Ritual (us) - Rough Mix Advance Tracks 1995
1) Visions of Souls Once Lost
2) Pagan Warfare (No vocals)

Reuploaded - 2022

Here's another band with a name used by bazillion others, Ritual from California USA play black metal influenced by the Scandinavian style on these two rough mix advance tracks for their debut album. Old Black Funeral comes to my mind as well, probably due the US-origin and the Scandinavian influence. I've received these from a tape trader friend so I don't have that much info as to how much the tracks were spread or so on. I don't think they would've made any sort of cover for this.

The sound is decent, considering it is a rough mix, it's a little bit... rough. Very well audible however and sounds different enough from the album versions to merit a listen. Not the most original of usbm around, not even back then, but I still have kind of a soft spot for this little tape

Pure Fucking Hell 'zine #2

Pure Fucking Hell Issue 2 (1994)
Interviews:
Order From Chaos
Beherit
Merciless
Sigh
Varathron
Ancient Rites
No Fashion Records
Emperor
Mortuary Drape
Pungent Stench
Deranged
Occult
Enslaved
Articles/Bios:
Calvary
Torched Records
Tormentor (hun)
Dismember
Astaroth (us)


Depositfiles

Another 'zine for change, this one is Finnish Pure Fucking Hell #2, released in March 1994. The editor is Pete of Sigillum Diaboli, currently known as Diaboli. This has a plenty of nostalgic value for me, but it should be an entertaining read for anyone into black/death metal. Simple xerox 'zine of 40 pages with short and often to the point interviews and a basic but very readable layout. I actually like this approach better than fancy pics under text and experimental fonts and what not. Pete released another issue after this one and then quit the 'zine. I'm interested in seeing the first & third issue so let me know if you come across them!

Darkstyle - Return to the Shadow demo 1993

Darkstyle - Return to the Shadow promo-demo I 1993
1) Behind the Rainbow
2) From the Other Side
3) Return to the Shadow

Reuploaded

This one is for Sasha aka Posao, sorry it took this long! And thanks to comrade Grev again who sent me a dub of an original tape and cover scans, much appreciated. This is the first promo/demo by Darkstyle, atmospheric black/dark metal. Hypnotic and repetitive, with whispery vocals. Good stuff! Sound and quality are good. Two out of three tracks have appeared on later releases but this should still be interesting to Darkstyle fans. Recommended.

From Depths - Adv.Tape '94

From Depths - "Adv. Tape '94" promo 1994
1) Dark Maze
2) When the Death Call
3) Illusions

Reuploaded

Here is the 1994 advance tape I received from Verminaard along with the 1993 live (see previous post). Unfortunately no cover so it's Metal Archives image again. The first song on the tape was recorded for a compilation and is of better sound quality than the two other tracks, which I'm told were recorded in a garage. However they still have pretty good sound... actually I might even prefer their as the bass is nicely audible.

The music is now closer to what they played on the 12" but somehow sounds more Italian than the EP - I must be getting Mortuary Drape associations from the bass on "When the Death Call"! The vocalists use both death growls and shrieks. Recommended and you might also want to check out the 1997 album uploaded on comrade Raf's blog here. Thanks again to Verminaard for these two!

From Depths - Live in Angri 1993

From Depths - Live in Angri 1993
1) Tales of Creation
2) Light in the Dark (But Perhaps it's Only a Dream) - Electrocution cover
3) Unholy Blasphemies - Morbid Angel cover
4) The Door of Time
5) Pull the Plug - Death cover
6) Dark Maze
7) All in the Name of God - Electrocution cover

Reuploaded

Remember "The Burning Ice" EP by From Depths I posted a little while back? Well, in March, but anyways, I was contacted by Verminaard - the ex vocalist/guitarist of From Depths and a member of Apolokia - who kindly promised to dig up the old tapes for me. He found the 1994 tape but not the 1993 promo, however he found and sent me this old & rare live tape from which the songs on the promo were taken in the first place. Unfortunately neither he nor Stormanger could remember the tracklisting! So I've named the tracks, really working with my imagination here, I - VIII. If someone is able to provide me with a full tracklisting, I'd be very grateful!

EDIT: Stop the press! An old friend of the band remembered the titles and gave them to Verminaard who contacted me, so now I'm updating and correcting this & reuploading. So you might want to download it again to get the titles and stuff corrected!

The stuff they play here is quite different from the later black metal material, they do some Electrocution songs (pre-From Depths, thrash influenced by the Teutonic godz Sodom, Kreator etc.), two covers (Morbid Angel's "Unholy Blasphemies" and Death's "Pull the Plug") and the then new From Depths tracks, at that point very much influenced by Katatonia, Rotting Christ, Paradise Lost and so on, kind of death/black/doom mixture. The recording has a good, clear live sound and the rip quality is very good too, so nothing to complain in that department. Check this out to observe the evolution of the band - or if you're an old school UG-maniac into this kind of material!

Goat Of The Harvest Compilation Vol.4

Various Artists - Goat of the Harvest Compilation vol.4: Autumn/Winter 1997/98 c.e.
1) Rood - An Ode to the Mighty North (Intro)
2) Utgard - Forgotten Heathen Woods
3) Judas Iscariot - From His Woven Darkness Above
4) Inner Hell - Misanthromaniac
5) Rare Form - Fata Morgana
6) Keep Of Kalessin - Skygger av Sorg I
7) Flauros - The Legend of Werewolf
8) Inhumate - Piece of Meat
9) Anwyl - Realm of Blasphemy
10) Anno Daemonicus - Chaos Overshadows the Valkyrian Castle
11) Bethel - Aye Inferno... / Wandering in the Lands of Dark and Frost
12) Helgrindr - A Raven... Left to Christ
13) Nomicon - Down Below
14) Deathfog - Sailing to the Great North Seas
15) Bastardized - Purest of Innocence
16) Ghoul Vault - Hypnotic Way
17) Funeral Rites - Moonlight December
18) Malkuth - Além dos Jardins Nosferáticos
19) Pagan Funeral - A Journey Through Carpathia

Reuploaded

I wrote I'd post more compilations. Well, here's another compilation tape, this one is from the USA and came with the 4th issue of the 'zine of same name, Goat Of The Harvest, which I probably will scan later as soon as I remember where I put it. Until then, we have the contents of the cassette here. The covers of course were not very informative as the 'zine had most of the info on these bands within and actually interviewed most of them, so until I manage to dig it up from somewhere I've not too much to tell about them. Well, it did have tracklisting and contact addresses so that's really what you expect from a compilation.

The line-up is international, with bands from the US, Finland, Japan, Brasil and Norway to mention few. Styles range from black metal to death metal to synth-based stuff and bands from the well-known (Judas Iscariot) to not-so-well-known (Funeral Rites) to totally obscure (Pagan Funeral). I probably should mention the first artist "Rood" is the guy who made the 'zine & compilation. As the cassette compilations were back then, the sound levels tend to shift track to track, often quite much. I didn't bother too much with this, just adjusted a few of the most extreme bits. Sounds more authentic and so on. That's all for now, give it a try if you're into black & death metal.

Dies Irae (nor) - Circle of Leth demo 1994

Dies Irae (nor) - Circle of Leth demo 1994
1) Andante passione attacca: Allegretto con vivacita - Allegro
2) Molto Presto - Intermezzo tranquillamente con dolore - attacca: Cantus con affizione
3) Andante maestoso attacca: Molto Presto forza - Quasi moderato grave - Molto Presto forza
4) Allegro con moto - Molto Presto - Largo passione - Allegro con vivacita - Lento passione
5) Finale tranquillamente: Cantus pro defunctis

Reuploaded

As you might guess from the catchy track titles listed above, here's something quite different: the only demo of the avantgarde/experimental/neoclassical/post-black metal (or just come up with your own description!) band/project Dies Irae fra Norge. This sounds so unique there's no danger of mixing them up with the other dozen or so Dies Iraes. I got my copy dubbed from the band, I don't remember anymore where I came across their address - most likely a 'zine. Anyways, I got a copy of the cover sheet too, scans of which are enclosed. It's a two-sided fold-out thingy. See below for the inside bit.


The music is based on classical stuff with (black) metal parts thrown in. Heavily echoing vocal recites unintelligible (well, for me) lyrics in the more metal tracks (the middle ones). The last track is an outro-type piece which really overstays its welcome at almost 13 minutes of mostly tolling bells. Other than that it's quite good and definitely a very interesting demo. I know there are other rips around but as I ripped this to my own use I thought I might as well upload it too.
Grab it if you're into symphonic black metal, post-/avantgarde/experimental/progressive/whatever "black" metal or just very very curious.

Parnassus - Demo 2 1995

Parnassus (swe) - Demo II 1995
1) Intro
2) Desolate of Joy
3) Blind I Wander
4) Desire No Earthly Thing

Reuploaded

And here is the second Parnassus demo. For more information, see the post below. Cover scan included here as well. There is a small blemish around 3:12 into "Desolate of Joy" but this appeared also on another rip I have from olden days so I guess it's on the master tape as well and it's really minor. Other than that good sound and quality. Recommended, especially if you liked the other demo.

Parnassus - Recieve My Dying Spirit demo I 1995

Parnassus (swe) - Recieve My Dying Spirit demo I 1995
1) Bar All Light From Me
2) Mark Me to Endless Pain
3) Recieve My Dying Spirit
4) Let Me Living Die

Reuploaded

I know this and the other Parnassus demo are by no means rare items and can be found in the inter nets with ease. I recently got copies of both Parnassus demos along with some related material and ripped them for my use. As the quality was better than the rip I previously had found I decided to upload it. Cover scan included.

Parnassus was one of the many projects F. Söderlund of Puissance fame was involved in around the early/mid 90's. His other black metal project Octinomos might seem similar, but Parnassus' approach is more symphonic with plenty of keyboards. I enjoy it as the keyboards don't have the carnival approach many other sympho stuff does, it's more in the haunting and gloomy vein. Well, that's what I think of it, have a listen if you like his other projects. Check out Stratia if you have a tape deck, they should still have copies available!

Pragwald - s/t 7"EP 1991

Pragwald - Pragwald 7"EP 1991
1) In Nomine
2) Temple of Sadness
3) Just a Question... Why?
4) Pragwald Blues (Outro)

MediaFire

An unusual item for this time, a 7"EP from a technical, almost progressive death metal band Pragwald from then-Yugoslavia, today's Slovenia. Quite original stuff with some bits of funk and blues (well, the outro) thrown in. Not really my preferred sort of poison, but it's an entertaining listen once a while. Picked this from one of my tape traders out of curiosity back in the 90's. Sound and rip quality are quite good so check this out if you're equally curious or fan of the style.