Nephilim - Demo 1994

Nephilim (usa) - Demo I 1994
1) Under the Dead Moon
2) Black Earth
3) Vile Ecstasy

UPDATED WITH SCANS:
Depositfiles / 4shared

Here's some black metal from the States again and another item courtesy of brother Vaalkoth, I don't think this has been released either on their new blog nor raf's. Anyways, if you remember this post, you know I was looking for this and am thus very grateful to Vaalkoth, I owe you for yet another one! Unfortunately, as he doesn't have access to a scanner I've only the M.A. image and this snapshot he took of the covers - I'd really like a full cover scan if someone can provide one!

UPDATE: Brother Fenrirsson, my go-to guy when it comes to cover scans and obscure material, has provided me with scans of both the demo cover and an old flyer - the Depositfiles and 4shared links include the updated folder! Interestingly, the cover he had was different from the M.A. image and Vaalkoth's pic and says 1995 on it so I assume it is a second pressing/edition/whatever you call it of the demo, like the Enkil demo had two different versions as well. The image on top now has a crop of his scan, see below for Vaalkoth's pic and above this paragraph the M.A. one.

But enough about that, time to move to the music. This demo is a little bit more straight Nordic-influenced both in sound and music than the "Black Earth" recording, leading to the inevitable Darkthrone et al. comparisons. However, I enjoy it - there's something distinct enough in their rehearsal-like sound that I can identify them easily as the same band. Notably the vocals sound more brutal and raw on this recording. In general every instrument is audible and can't say anything would really drown out. Nothing fancy or really that original either here but if you enjoy basic, raw and in-your-face black metal you'll want to try this demo out. There is one more recording left which neither Vaalkoth nor me are certain of, I suppose I'll just post it soon and ask if anyone knows more.

Cradle Of Filth - Promo 1994

Cradle Of Filth - Promo 1994
1) A Gothic Romance
2) Nocturnal Supremacy

Mediafire

Don't look so surprised, I've posted old COF earlier, look here. Here's a quite obscure tape, as in not listed in Metal Archives, with two early versions of songs that'd end up on "Vempire" and "Dusk...". As you look at the 1995 live I posted, the setlist also featured these songs and I read somewhere a mention that this would've been recorded in November 1994 but can't confirm that. No idea if a proper cover exists, at least I don't have it as I got this from a tape trader contact around early 1995. If you know better and/or can supply a cover scan please do so, the one seen above is what I made to just entertain myself using an image from an old COF shirt + the logo.

The tracks here differ a bit from the album versions, but mainly in the performance and (naturally) sound quality department - the song structures and such seem pretty much same, though I admit I haven't listened them right next to the album versions. The dub quality could be better, as there is some clearly audible wear to be heard in places. Could be worse, though. Sound quality itself isn't that bad for what would appear to be rehearsal demo recording. If you like older COF and can stomach rough demo sounds check this out, it's not bad at all.

Shadowcaster - Psychelectronic Experience (1999)

Shadowcaster - Psychelectronic Experience CD 1999
1) Entrance Into The Shaman Consciousness (Phase I, II, III)
2) Riding The Zenith (Phase I, II)
3) Journey Across The Vast Psychedelic Landscape To The Darkness Beyond (Hallucinations With No Color)

Mediafire / Depositfiles

I have returned from Hammer Open Air alive, so here's the second Shadowcaster album I promised to post. For more information on the project see this earlier post. This too was sent by Mikael himself, so thank you again!

As you may see above, only three tracks this time but these are all very long, making the total playtime over an hour. First two are both over 15 minutes and the last one is an over half an hour juggernaut! Slightly surprising, this album is actually a little easier listen - at least in my opinion - as there isn't as much experimentation just for the sake of experimentation. It might be somewhat in my head but it sounds more consistent. There are still most elements from the previous album present, though the vocals tend to be more in the whispered/spoken vein rather than the black metallish rasp. The synths and effects lean to more spacey sounds, though parts are still very dungeon synth. A part in the second track reminded me of the old Doctor Who series' music. Which is pretty awesome. If you dared to check out the first album you'll want to hear this as well.

Key of Alocer #4

Key of Alocer 'zine, issue 4 (1994)
Interviews:
Spear of Longinus
Susscrofa
Inverted Pentagram
First Occult Church
Articles etc:
The Road Home (Ygraine Gidney)
Mystery Babylon Part II (Abaaner Incendium)
War and Peace (Wulf Grimwald)
Papaver Somniferum (Temple of Fire)
Blessed Darkness (Abaaner Incendium)
Satanism and Nazism (Wulf Grimwald)
Love Is Real (Unsane/Incendium)
Religion of Hate (Jeffrey Deboo)
The Alien Elite (William Gidney)
The Beast of Gevaudan (David Thierree)
+ reviews and artworks (by Incendium)

Reuploaded - 2022

I'm soon off to Hammer Open Air but I thought I'd drop this here first. A 'zine post for change and a quite different one, Key of Alocer was a NZ publication and at least 4 issues were made - don't know if the planned 5th one was completed and released, possibly. The first 3 issues were more in the traditional metal fanzine vein, with several band interviews and some articles. This one has changed so that there are only three bands and William Gidney of the First Occult Church interviewed and the rest is articles. The articles are mostly ok to interesting, though some are a bit tedious read. I would be interested to read the old issues if anyone happens to have them (Fenrirsson?) - they had interviews like Unholy, Dead Christ, Acheron, Belial, Impaled Nazarene, Impiety + more (1st), Graveland, Martyrium, Pagan Rites, Twilight, In the Woods... + many more (2nd) and Absu, Deinonychus, Primordial, Aradia, Gospel of the Horns + many more (3rd). This issue is not actually mine, it belongs to an old associate but has been sort of forgotten among my 'zines. If you're reading this, sorry I've forgotten to return this, come and pick it up already! A bit different read that should be very interesting to all, recommended.

Pervogoat - Face of Death demo 1996

Pervogoat - Face of Death demo 1996
1) The Paradise
2) Face of Death
3) Chalice of Hell

 LINKS DISCONTINUED - GET THE COMPILATION FROM BREATH OF PESTILENCE!!!

Black metal again, a contribution by comrade unholydeath - thank you - and finally comrade neblodzin's request filled, I give you the first demo of Pervogoat, a project associated with Vornat and Dysangelium. I've understood this was primarily a one-man band (with occasional session drummer?) of Black Spell who is currently dead. Like Dysangelium, this is not recommended for the politically correct even if it is not as blatantly NS as D was, it is still "true Aryan Black Metal" (I quote the demo cover). A scan of the cover is included.

What is it then, other than obscure and controversial? Raw and ugly black metal with a primitive, almost barbaric rehearsal recording. Still the sound is quite good and the music sounds cold and desolate, yet crude and hostile. Well, it's not exactly front page news that I like raw and primitive black metal so I guess you'd better listen to it yourself. Apparently Pervogoat released a second demo in 1997 and there was also a tape with both of the recordings. I'm looking for either of those as well as the Dysangelium demos so let me know if you got 'em! Recommended for underground black metal enthusiasts, collectors of Finnish demos and other assorted madmen and -women.

Muspellsheim - Toner av Natten demo 1996

Muspellsheim - Toner av Natten demo I 1996
1) Under en Norrøn Himmel
2) En Ferd over Vidstrakte Vidder
3) Glemt og Forlatt

Mediafire / Depositfiles

More black metal comes and for change something again from brother Grev's vault, I give you the first demo of Norwegians Muspellsheim. I did have a shitty old dub of this somewhere but as it was one of the cassettes seemingly ninja-trained in the arts of hiding I gave up and asked Grev to dub it for me which was to the benefit of all as his had a vastly superior quality of sound to my tape (or that's how I remember). Thanks yet again! Sadly no covers, so I borrowed the image from Metal Archives.

You might remember I posted "The Eerie Sampler" not that long ago here, and it featured the second demo of Norwegians Gravferd. Well, it is pretty much the same guys who also played here and you might recall I wasn't very impressed with the Graveferd effort which wasn't bad, just pretty average. So how is their other band? I find it actually more interesting and just enough "different" sounding not to drown completely in the mass of other Norse (or like that sounding) bands of the 90's. The music here has a bit more Viking/Norse feel to it without being a direct copy of say Einherjer, Kampfar or old Enslaved. The sound is a little murky and with more deep end than I am used to expect from this sort of music of the era. It does get a bit messy from time to time, but is okay once your ear adjusts. Some synth support is used, but quite tastefully. I can't really pinpoint how I wasn't at all into this when I first heard it back whenever and how it now suddenly sounds so much better. Have a listen for yourself if you enjoy rough sounding, melodic somewhat Norse black(-ish, no Satan) metal, I'm done writing here!

Vergelmer - In Darkness Forever demo 1993

Vergelmer - In Darkness Forever demo I 1993
1) Beyond the Nightstar
2) Purifying
3) Shrineblood
4) In the Dead of Winter
5) Dark Winds

 Media

As promised, black metal. First off, this is certainly not one of mine but a wish long overdue, brother Vaalkoth had delivered this on Raf666underground not that long ago but as that was a link to his Mediafire folder which required you to download each file separately, as well as being a long standing (over 15 years) request of mine I decided to pack it up and redistribute here. So, all credit to Vaalkoth and naturally comrade Raf too. Alas, no covers and I would love to see it, so if you have it (or have been in the band?) I really need a scan - I recycled the logo I found on somewhere which I used for a 1993 rehearsal for this one too.

Very good sound for the medium quality rip and I prefer this to their album, as I do with the rehearsal I posted and the "Origo Malitiae" release. This is Swedish black metal of the slower, heavier and more morbid school from the early 90's, obscure and a real pleasure for me to listen - though you have to consider I'm slightly drunk and really fed up with typing right now. Very much recommended and I want the rest of their rehearsals and demo material!

Shadowcaster - Abandonment (1996)

Shadowcaster (us) - Abandonment CD 1996
1) Wisdom Is My Misery (Melancholia's Caress)
2) Abandonment
3) In the Darkest Reaches of a Distant Cavern at the Very Depths of a Great and Silent Lake
4) We Are the Elite... (Into an Abstract View I Sail)
5) Ereshkigal's Gift (the Descent of Inanna, the Ascension), Pt. 2
6) The Shadowcaster
7) Prolonged Aftermath, Then Solitude
8) My Summoning of the Darkness Princess [Embrace Me]
9) I Am Truly Free: The Blackness Within

Mediafire / Depositfiles

More non-metal follows, but despair not - I promise next entry will be metal. Probably black. Back to this post, here is another donation from brother Vaalkoth, the debut album of his ambient/synth solo project Shadowcaster which also released two demo tapes in 1994 and had some pretty bitchin' flyers if I remember correctly. Thanks mate! Right, released by the late infamous Greek label Unisound Records as a digipack, Shadowcaster kind of continued where fellow Americans Equimanthorn left off with their "Nindinugga Nimshimshargal Enlillara" album in 1994. I had no cover scans but found decent images of the front and back of the digipak, these are included in the download. And before you complain about the track titles differing from the album, these are as Vaalkoth sent them and I'd expect him to know how they are supposed to be written.

Less ritualistic and conceptually focused than Equimanthorn were, Shadowcaster combines darkwave, ambient and even some dungeon synthesque parts with (mostly) raspy black metal vocals, supported by some (very little) clean singing, whispers and such. I'm under the impression at least some of the material is improvised, not to Abruptum degree but there are still occasional jarring changes and unexpected turns of events. At its best the album is hauntingly atmospheric, at worst it makes you drum the table impatiently and wish the track would change. With a duration of 70+ minutes it does overstay its welcome a bit, but there is certain crude charm to this, similar to much dungeon synth work. I have to say I'm not too fond of the "lasers firing" sounds on the 25+min mammoth "Ereshkigal's Gift" - which otherwise works surprisingly well for its lenght. Try it if you're into bands and genres name dropped on the post so far, if you're not into them I guess you'll wait for the next post.

Poles Apart - Unreleased Ambient Tracks 1998-2001

Poles Apart - Unreleased Ambient Tracks 1998 - 2001
1) Alter Ego
2) Deathlike Silence
3) Nightblooming
4) Underwater
5) Gone in Tranquillity

Mediafire

A non-metal item today, here is the last stuff sent by Sascha, the unreleased tracks from his project Poles Apart, recorded between 1998 and 2001. Unlike the demo, which was instrumental symphonic/progressive black metal influenced by the likes of early Arcturus, Dimmu, Bal-Sagoth and "Nightside"-era Emperor, these tracks are dark ambient. It is just a collection of tracks, not a demo, promo or any other release like that and no, there certainly isn't a real cover for this, I just put that pic up there together for fun. I found the photo used by googling "skogen" and it's taken by someone called Josef Stuefer, hope he doesn't mind me editing and using it.

Ok, as I mentioned these are ambient tracks and recorded over a period of few years, though the sound is so similar they could pass as a single EP, MLP or something. Sascha himself referred to this material as dark ambient and it is atmospheric if not that sinister. More moody than menacing, gloomy rather than grim, otherworldly instead of oppressive - well, you get the picture. I'm not very good with the terminology for electronic music so I won't make more of a fool of myself by attempting a deeper analysis. Let's just say it's more Aphex Twin than MZ.412. "Nighblooming" is personally a highlight. Recommended if you enjoy ambient music, collect obscure releases or are just plain curious.

Goden - Return to the Reich promo 1996

Goden - Return to the Reich promo 1996
1) Fucking the Dead
2) Human / Hell
3) Childmaker
4) Forlorn
5) Leaving Sounds

 Mediafire

More death metal from Europe and another tape traded item, this is the third tape by the Dutch band Goden. I haven't heard the first two so can't say anything about them. They released a MCD after this one and probably split up. Tape trader loot like mentioned and unfortunately no cover scan.

Sound is ok and music is death metal with some influences from thrash and even some death/doom bands as well - though it is moderately fast paced, so more of the first and very little of the later. The lyrics would appear to be similar to the death/doom actually, so if you expected NSDM from the promo title I suppose you'll be dissappointed. Quite melodic, with plenty of leads and so on but not keyboards or female vocals or anything like that, this is quite metal if not very dark or crushing sort of heavy. Not bad, give it a shot if you enjoy melodic death metal.

Drowned - Demo 1993

Drowned (ger) - Demo 1993
1) Intro
2) (Beyond the) Gates of Kadath
3) In Deathless Sleep
4) Underneath
5) Dawn of the Unholy

Mediafire / Depositfiles

Let's do some death metal now, shall we? First, here's the first demo of the German Drowned who would go on to release several cassettes and EPs over the years, latest of which being available at their Bandcamp page here. They're still around and making new material and some of you probably know their current vocalist/keyboardist Mors Dalos Ra from somewhere. But all that is not really relevent with this first tape, which I've ripped from a copy sent by a trader back in late 1994 (or early 1995). I got no covers for it so once again I've borrowed an image from Metal Archives and a better scan would be nice.

The music here is death metal which takes a darker, eerie approach rather than that of brutal violence which might explain how I was quite into it even back in my strict black metal phase. Of course the HPL references helped also. I don't think I've heard the second demo from 1995 so I can't compare this to their following releases except for the latest one which is obviously more refined but still surprisingly consistent when compared to this. Recommended if you like dark and musty old school death metal.

Cernunnos Woods - Lost Woods (1994)

Cernunnos Woods - Lost Woods Cass. EP II 1994
1) Echos of Knowledge in Ancient Stone
2) Occultus Jubileum (Widdershin's Witches)
3) Call of the Dark Sea

Links removed as obsolete, DAP has re-released old material:
Forest Anthology
Bandcamp

New month, more old music. Here's something I actually got just today but since I've been on the look for it for so long I decided to be quick for once in my life and pack & upload it immediately. This is the second cassette EP by the US druid Bard Algol's Cernunnos Woods (see here for the first one) and contains three tracks of Celtic dungeon synth. Or druidic dark ambient. Well, call it what you will, it is the second DAP release (Dap 002) and sent to me by brother Vaalkoth, thanks again! Unfortunately I've no cover scan available so I slapped an old promo pic to decorate the post. I'd appreciate a scan if someone has it.

UPDATE: Still not quite the cover scan but apparently Bard had posted a flyer for this demo on his Facebook and comrade Eugene grabbed and cropped the image so we have an almost-cover to decorate the post, thanks!

So how is it this time? Much better, both sound and content-wise. My dismally awful dub was of course a source of much dismay but as Mikael's tape was in much better condition (and probably ripped from an original instead of XXX generation dub!) the listening experience is not marred by walls of hiss and other impurities. The tracks are a bit longer and, well, better. I'm hard pressed to give a lenghty analysis as I'm listening to it for the second time while I type this text. If you enjoyed the previous tape and/or the full lenght album (which EcoPagan posted in his blog) you should check this out as well.

UPDATE II: I've removed the download links as obsolete as DAP has re-released the old CW demos on a compilation "Forest Anthology" that comes as cassette, CD and digital download. Head over to their site if interested. There's Akhkharu coming soon too!