Krigstave - Calling Valkyria demo 1999

Krigstave - Calling Valkyria demo 1999
1) Crom... The Legacy of Steel
2) Wage Krieg
3) Nature's Eternal Fascism

Rusfolder / Yandex

One non-metal item more and another contribution sent earlier this month by brother Wehrwolf, thank you! This is the probably only demo by Krigstav, an industrial project by Rubeus of Pantheon (+ various other projects) and another person, going under the aliases Genocide and Unknown Soldier. I don't know who the other is and which one R was. A cover scan is enclosed.

Ripped from his own tape, this has a good sound though it could be a touch louder. Obviously adjusting the volume will remedy this unless you already listen to everything at maximum volume, in which case you're probably deaf by now and it doesn't matter. Right, to the music, which I suppose would be simple to call NS industrial. Not of the martial sort, this is more akin to death industrial with dark ambient touches and some noisy parts (very few). If you managed to hear the Hagall tape, quite similar to that. Not as low-fi though. There are some vocals, effected and quite distant almost drowning in the background rumble. They get more dominant on the second track where the noise takes more of a backseat until the near ending when it grows in volume and intensity. The third track, which is the shortest of the lot at a bit over 6 minutes, is the most aggressive in its instrumentation. Overall it's a bit on the minimalistic side but not that repetive or monotonous really nor very harsh or noisy, if not "snap your fingers, tap your feet, feel the beat"-catchy feelgood music either. For people into oppressive and somewhat unpleasant industrial soundscapes.

Emglev - Noz-Veil demo 1996

Emglev - Noz-Veil demo 1996
1) An Anaon Katren
2) Tuchen Kador - An Torgenn Eus Kador - Veur
3) An Yeun Ellez
4) Outro - Treizh

Depositfiles / RGhost

Here is the second and as far as I know last Emglev release. For further information on what, why and how see the previous post. Thanks once again to Lightfox for providing the rips! Like the previous one this didn't have a cover either (or if it did, it wasn't posted by the guy at Psychopathological zine!) so I posted the same landscape from the Menez-Arrez mountains that was used there. Apparently it was very limited, I quote the post there: "This Demo Was Limited To 6 Copies For Intolerant Minds.Concept Based On The Lugubre Atmopsheres Of Menez-Arrez While The Dead Winter."

Music- and soundwise this continues quite directly from where the 1994 demo left off though sounding a little more refined and slightly more multilayered. The first song sounds very much like some late 80's/early 90's ambient that I can't seem to recall right now, you know those synthesizer compilations back from the day? Second one is a bit more active and dungeon synthy while third one falls somewhere between those two. Last one is a shorter outro piece. This release sounds more ambient-bent than dungeon synth to me, I might still include it in the latter category though. Brother Andrew, please offer your opinion! Anyways, good stuff still and recommended to friends of the mentioned music styles.

Emglev - Unreleased Demo 1994

  
Emglev - Unreleased demo 1994
1) Arvor, O Douar Sakr...
2) An Eured Ven

Mediafire / RGhost

Survived the festival and it's time to do a request. Sort of. I was contacted by zargonath who suggested I'd feature this project from Britanny, France as the old links were all quite dead and there were only some Youtube clips available. I then tried to contact various sources who had originally uploaded the material here and also the people who then released it on Metalarea and 'tube. Thanks to Lightfox, I got the recordings and now present them here. This had no cover art so I'll just post the same image of the guy behind the music used at Psychopathological zine. There was also the band logo, done by Alan from Tears of Ea, which you may see below as it didn't really appeal to my taste.

The logo.

But enough background banter, let's talk about the music finally. Only two tracks here but both are quite long, setting the total length of the recording over 12 minutes. I suppose the titles are in the local dialect or something, but the artist described this recording as battle hymns inspired by Mother Nature vibes from the Menez Arrez mountains. Whatever the case, it sounds awesome. Keyboard music with definite dungeon synth feeling and sounds inspired by not only the nature visions and feelings but also by the artist's fantasies of the medieval pagan past of his home. Myself I get flashbacks to the happy times spent in the later 80's playing games like Ultima IV on C64 and other assorted, nerdy things like that. Simple and sweet, somber stuff recommended for the dungeon synth oriented readers and Brittany enthusiasts!

Slayer - Live at Monsters of Rock 1992

Slayer - Live at Monsters of Rock, Donington Park UK 22nd August 1992
1) Hell Awaits
2) The Antichrist
3) South of Heaven
4) Silent Scream
5) Dead Skin Mask
6) Seasons in the Abyss
7) War Ensemble
8) Mandatory Suicide
9) Raining Blood
10) Angel of Death

Yandex / Depositfiles

I'm off to the first festival this summer, Steelfest Open Air, around midday Friday with master Nupponen of Maveth/Cryptborn and to celebrate this merry event I thought I'd finally post this bootleg of another band that should not need introductions. I say finally because I had ripped the tape containing this already back in 2009 but wasn't sure if I'd post it here or not. Decided to go ahead and do it even though there's a bootleg CD (at least one) out containing this. So, here's Slayer, 1992, excellent set, good sound and nothing else really to say. Well, this: in memoriam: Jeff Hanneman 1964 - 2013.

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.

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...

Reuploaded

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?

Warloghe - Impurity rehearsal 1997

Warloghe - Impurity rehearsal tape 1997
1) My Kingdom of Space and Time
2) All Hail the Infernal Legions

RGhost / Depositfiles

Still more black metal. Warloghe from Finland, grim black metal and a rehearsal tape. I was dubbed this by Glaurung in early '97 when I wrote him for their demo. Since they just dubbed these to some people there obviously were no covers and actually it didn't have any sort of title (except the track titles that is) when I got it, don't know if it was actually called "Impurity" rehearsal by the band or if someone just pulled that name out of their asses. Anyways, again I felt like making up a cover for it. I don't know who drew the cute image I used, it just came up while doing a pic search for pile of skulls. Thanks, unknown person!

I know there's at least one rip of this rehearsal around with a screwed up tracklisting (it has both tracks as one long and omits the second title completely) and since I think my rip, after a bit of work, came out pretty good and has correct tracklisting and division I decided to post it here. The sound is quite crisp, cold and dry - it's only guitar, drums and vocals. Can't get much more basic than that I suppose. The main vocal is the somewhat strangled sounding grim snarl familiar from other Warloghe recordings, supported occasionally by what sounds like a semi-clean spoken voice slash hollering that's also gasping for air at the same time or something like that. Wow, stand back people wordsmithing in process. Right... the first, longer track feels a bit drawn-out but the second one is much more active and dynamic. Don't know how full instrumentation (2nd guitar, bass) would change them, probably a bit for the better. Not likely to stimulate every reader but if you've enjoyed the other Warloghe recordings and/or raw and primitive sounding black metal in general you'll check this out.

Barathrum - Live in Kuopio 8.11.1991

Barathrum - Live in Kuopio, Finland 8th November 1991
1) Deep from the Depths
2) Demon Est Deus Inversus
3) Into Maze of Nightmares
4) Black Flames and Blood
5) Gate to Jetblack Desires
6) Winter of the Black Snow
7) Witchmaster

Yandex / Mediafire

I spent the Friday evening attending a gig in Kuopio and yesterday recovering from the trip. Inspired by that I decided to post this live recording, also from Kuopio but a few years back and featuring a different band which should be familiar to the readers of the blog by now. This rip was sent to me already quite a few months ago by comrade Drowned, so thanks to him. Of course no covers exist, the one seen above is again a placeholder by me.

Don't know the venue this was recorded in, I think I remember seeing a poster or flyer for a 1991 Barathrum gig which may or may not have been this one, further info welcome. Anyways, they play for a bit under half an hour and the "Witchmaster" demo in full. The sound is a little bass heavy and slightly chaotic but still listenable. Drowned had applied noise reduction to tackle the hiss but I'm not a fan of this as it tends to mess up the high end. That's not very notable here though. If you haven't heard the Witchmaster demo, or old Barahtrum in general, it's quite doomy and general slow to midtempo black metal and they keep the speeds in check live too. Recommended to Barathrum fans, obviously, as well as any into old school bm or black/doom combo.

Gorthaur - Return to the Truth demo 1995

Gorthaur (spa) - Return to the Truth demo 1995
1) Return to the Truth
2) A Song by the Winter Fire
3) Daughter of the Gods

Yandex / Depositfiles / RGhost

We stick to the sunny Spain but this is an item I actually like. I decided I've had too little black metal here recently. This will be corrected, starting now. Gorthaur was an obscure and short-lived band which either featured members of Beheaded Lamb or was BL after a name change for a while before breaking up & separating into BL and Gothician. Metal Archives reports the events as per latter but I recall a trader comrade giving a different account of the band's background, unfortunately I don't remember what he exactly wrote anymore. As you guessed, this rip of their only demo is from a dub I got from that trader comrade. The reason I hesitated for a long time before posting this is that I actually have two rips of it, the one from my dub posted here and another one, provided years ago by Alhaz of (ex-)Primigenium, at a time I couldn't find the tape. If someone really needs, I can upload his version too, it sounds slightly cleaner. He also sent me the Gothician demo which you should be able to find on the nets. No covers, unfortunately and actually this time nothing else either. Anything would be appreciated, cover scan, band pic/logo, flyer...!

What is the music like you must be wondering by this point. To put it bluntly, it's very Burzum-sounding, raw but melodic black metal. Not really original, the Isengrim editor would hate this, but I never cared about that drivel as long as it works. And it works for me. Not as intense as Nidhoggr (first Burzumish band that came to mind) nor lethargic like the worst depressive black metal projects, Gorthaur operates mostly in midtempo, from the quite brisk pace of the title track to the slightly slower second song and ending up, logically, with the actually slow and quite torturous "Daughter of the Gods". Vocals are shrieks and screams of the Varg-school, naturally, some synths are sparingly used for effective touch here and there and the rest of the musicianship is proficient enough, nothing leaps out to either bother or amaze you. The sound is a bit messy but very listenable by my standards and the little murkiness adds to the appeal of the music, at least I feel like that. I have to admit this gets quite a few nostalgy points from me so I'm not sure how an objective listener, jaded with today's overflowing black metal market and the thousand bands doing/having done similar music, will react to this. And I don't really care. Those who enjoy this do so and the others can again wait for another upload.