Withered Garden - Watcher In The Nightsky demo 1997

Withered Garden - Watcher in the Nightsky demo 1997
1) Flame
2) Call of Stormcrow
3) Praise of Evil Rising High
4) Watcher in the Nightsky

Reuploaded

I mentioned this demo on my Halls Of Mandos post and decided to go and rip it. Turns out my memory failed me slightly, as it now sounds better than I remembered (though I'm still inclined to prefer the more direct approach of Halls demo). Atmospheric dark/black metal stuff here, quite sounding like a product of it's time. Better than the MCD that followed, I think, and the rip is decent quality too.

Throes Of Dawn - With The Northern Wind demo 1994

Throes Of Dawn - With The Northern Wind demo 1994
1) Autumn Winds
2) Outburning Sun
3) Silent Throes

I've ripped this again. See here.

Debut demo of the dark metal band Throes Of Dawn, dubbed on my tape by one of the band members (Teemu?) around 1995. I later transfered it onto another tape but I don't think that had too detrimental an effect on the quality.

Three tracks of atmospheric dark metal, quite a good effort especially for such a young band. The clean vocals make me cringe, I admit that, but so it is with many other Finnish bands as well.

Morningstar - Promotape 1994

Morningstar - Promotape 1994
1) The Eyes Of Lamia 
2) Kalevala 
3) Black Rebel

Reuploaded

Here's some more stuff from Sinister Satyr Honkonen, this time the main-project Morningstar and the 1994 promo. Three (short) songs that were latter released on the debut album "Rivendell." There were two alternative covers for the tape, Arska sent me both with the tape and I've included scans of them with the download. Not much else to say really.

Perkele - Saatanalliset Himot rehearsal/demo I 1994

Perkele - Saatanalliset Himot rehearsal demo I 1994
1) Kalevala (Morningstar cover)
2) Pagan Fire
3) Nainen Pimeydestä
4) Seductive Eyes Of A Wolf
5) It Will End...
6) Eternal Moonfog
7) Witchcraft (Morningstar cover, outro)

Depositfiles

Here's some more seldom seen material from Morningstar mastermind Ari "Sinister Satyr" Honkonen, this is the first recording of his project Perkele, started in 1994 with some German wench and evolved through very Isengard-sounding phase (the "Pohjola"-demo) to a more gothic sound ("Midsummer Murders" promo and the "Erotic Circus" album) and eventual split up. Honkonen sort of revived the project briefly as Iron Bird and released one demo under that monicker. But more of that later if I find the tape with the demo.

This tape was released in few numbers, not surprising for a rehearsal/demo and I got my copy from one of the small Finnish distros in 1995. The sound quality is not so bad, considering it is a reheasal recording, the material itself... well, it is not exactly great. Sort of pagan metal, similar to older Morningstar (the intro track and outro being Morningstar songs), two of the songs ended up on the first proper demo "Pohjola" and the rest are instrumentals or feature Lady Lammaschta's less-than-proficient vocals. It has mostly historical relevance and of course the few Perkele-fans will probably try it to hear rougher versions of "Pagan Fire" and "Nainen Pimeydestä".

Halls Of Mandos - As The Evil Wins demo 1996

Halls Of Mandos - As The Evil Wins demo 1996
1) As The Evil Wins
2) Awaken By The Winds
3) The Summoning
4) Time For A Change

4shared

The first and only release by Halls Of Mandos, a little-known Finnish black metal band that changed their name into Withered Garden after this release and then again into Sightless later on. The musical style changed as well, first into more COF and the like influenced melodic dark metal and then gradually into more death metallic sound. Anyways, this demo was still black metal, with the typical sound of Finnish demo bands of the era. I received this recording from... one of the members after I bought the Withered Garden demo and asked if he could record me the old material too. It's a bit flawed due to tape wear and can't be helped I'm afraid. Shouldn't bother people used to cassettes and tape rips too much, I suppose. I must confess that I prefer this demo to the Withered Garden material. Haven't heard Sightless yet, so no comment or comparison to that.

UPDATE: I got an original copy of the tape this summer (2010) and ripped it. The quality is a bit better than the originally posted version so I decided to upload it. 320 kbps & scan of the xeroxed cover enclosed.

Chained And Desperate - Advance Tracks promo 1995

Chained And Desperate - Advance Tracks 1995 promo tape
1) The Shapeless Stone
2) Centaurs Dance
3) Sirens Lament

Reuploaded

Sometime in 1995 I ran across an ad or flyer, don't remember which one, for a Greek band called Chained And Desperate and their 1994 demo tape. I was (and still am) very much into Greek metal and intrigued by the band's unsual name so I wrote them. I got a reply with an advance tape of three new songs which were in new direction for the band, the 1994 demo having been more death/doom. These songs on this little promo were midtempo, atmospheric pagan metal and I was very impressed with them. They recorded a little later 3 more songs for what was supposed to be a split CD with Order Of The Ebon Hand, but that didn't happen, so both bands released their parts as demos.

Chained And Desperate released a full-lenght album "Eleven Angels in a Circle" in 2000, went into hiatus and have since returned. The album can be downloaded for free on their website, check it out.

The download here is not my rip, I came across this a few years ago in Soulseek and have no idea who to credit with the rip. It's good quality so I didn't see any sense in making an inferior rip of the tape myself, so thank you, anonymous contributor. Also, there was no proper cover for this tape so again a band logo was uploaded instead.

Minotauri - Rehearsal 1995

Minotauri - Rehearsal 1995
1) I'm A Ghost
2) Shores Of My Childhood

Reuploaded

In the late 1995 I wrote a few letters with Ari "Sinister Satyr" Honkonen, the mastermind of the Finnish metallers Morningstar. Besides the letters, I sent him tapes to record some rehearsal etc. material and along with the Morningstar stuff, I got these two songs from his new project, still then called Minotaur. Since those days the name of the band changed as he added an "i" to the end (I guess he remembered the German Minotaur...) and the music evolved into traditional doom vein.

The two tracks here are a low quality rehearsal recording, but audible enough. There's some annoying tape imperfection on the second song, but I don't think it ruins the whole thing. I'm not really 100% sure how to describe the style of these songs, so I'll just give in and call them "metal" - quite comparable to latter Morningstar actually. Worth the download for the curiosity value I suppose. No covers so I just slapped on the Minotauri logo here and for the convenience I've named them as Minotauri already here.

Twin Obscenity - Revelations Of Glaaki demo 1995

 

Twin Obscenity - Revelations of Glaaki demo 1995

1) Like the Death of a Sorceress 

2) The Infernal Dance of Prince Kaleth

3) Tribute to Mortality

4) Revelations of Glaaki

 

 Reuploaded 

 

This was one of the demos that made me realize how much I loved the underground scene. It was released in a time when the last thing you'd expect to hear from Norway was death metal. Sure, there was Molested but that was that, and let's face it Molested was nothing too interesting. This, however, was pure gold. Revelations Of Glaaki... the whole thing oozed mystery and the rest of the titles only helped. This was not the viking metal you kids knew Twin Obscenity for.

I think one of my Norwegian or German tape trading comrades recorded me this one, so we have to use the Metal Archives image. All these tracks were released on the delayed Head Not Found debut album, but I think these versions still merit a listen as they, at least to this writer's ears sound different. It is a definite listen for anyone into Lovecraftian darker metal, even while it's not directly borrowing from the master himself. Nothing viking or Norse here, just the stench of dust-covered, forgotten and long forsaken tomes of weird tales and bizarre invocations. Absolutely recommended.

 

ACHTUNG! 01-02-2011 - New, improved version of the rip uploaded! If you have the old one you might want to download this instead. It's ripped from the same dub but done better. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Hödur - The Majesty demo 1995

Hödur - The Majesty demo 1995
1) The Shadows
2) Master
3) Eternal Night
4) Wilczyca z SS

This version discontinued. See the more recent post for a new link with full cover scans.

This piece of raw Polish black metal was mostly left unknown if not for their 1997 release of the demo tape/cassette album "Salve Satanas" and the little known advance tape with three songs from that release.

A thing for debate was the name of the band: I saw them written most of the time on the tape trading lists as Hödur (see the latter logo for more proof) but the established name seems to be the more convinient Hodur. EDIT: Ok, I got a better rip of "Salve Satanas" with full cover scans and it is, as I thought, HÖDUR.

Bad sound, raw-as-hell, Polish old school black metal armageddon is the word here and this seems to be a hard-to-find release. My version, unfortunately, is your another dub of a dub of a dub of a maybe original thing from the old tape trading days. And this tape rip of mine is good compared to the last demo/tape-album that circled around. The last track is hilarious, reference to the "classic" "Ilsa - She-Wolf Of the SS" movie. Very, very recommendable to the old-school, raw-as-fuck enthusiastics and the politically incorrect.

14-03-2009 - Updated the Mediafire link with a .rar that has spelling corrected to Hödur from Hodur. Didn't bother with the Uploaded.to link.
31-03-2009 - Fuckloaded.to link dead. Annoyed. Replaced with Badongo and with the corrected .rar
14-05-2010 - Noticed Badango link is dead. Removed. I received full cover scan for this a little while ago, I'm going to rip this again, pack with the full covers and upload a new link so stay tuned.

Enochian Crescent - Rehearsal 1995

Enochian Crescent - Rehearsal 1995
1. The Cold Harvest
2. When Tears Run Dry
3. Under Autumn Trees (Wings cover)
4. (Tranced Into) A Dream Of Basaltic Submarine Towers Of Titanic Proportions And Nightmare Angles
5. Afar

Depositfiles

Enochian Crescent should be a familiar name to most reading this blog by now. It wasn't that yet when I wrote with Gabriel (Victor) in 1995. My letter concerned his other band, Wings, a solo project from his Cartilage-days, resurrected in 1994. I wanted a copy of the 1994 demo "The Sun" and got that too. He also recorded me some advance tracks of new material and a rehearsal tape of the new project he seemed pretty excited about, Enochian Crescent, described curiously as black leather metal. No cover, obviously, as it's not an official release, so I slapped the EC logo there.

Four of the songs were later recorded on the debut album "Telocvovim" released by Woodcut Records and the third one is a cover of the first track from Wings' 1993 7"EP. The sound is what you may expect from a rehearsal tape, so don't say you haven't been warned. Anyways, I think it has it's own rough charm and certainly historical value.

Frozen Tear - White With Frost demo 1995

Frozen Tear - White With Frost demo 1995
1. Winternights Have Her Eyes
2. Seventh Circle River
3. White With Frost
4. Moonlight Shadow (Mike Oldfield cover)

Reuploaded

Let's start with the basics: this is not black metal, this is melodic death metal, much like Amorphis in mid-90's. Now that you have been warned we move on. This is the only release by Frozen Tear, Finnish death metal outfit that evolved from the black metal band Thorny Wreath (whose material I'll rip & upload later). I wrote with Miikka around the time they still were Thorny Wreath and got this tape as well when it was released in 1995. I found it to be all right stuff, even though I wasn't really much into death metal at the time. I can't remember whatever happened to the band after the release of the demo, did they split up due musical differences, moved to other towns or which one of the usual scenarios. Anyways, try this out if you enjoy early/mid-90's Finnish melodic death metal.

Behemoth (swe) - The Ancient Kingdom rehearsal/demo 1994

Behemoth - The Ancient Kingdom rehearsal/demo 1994
1. The Ancient Kingdom Beyond The Frozen Forest
2. The Cursed Sun
3. Like A Wailing Winter Wind
4. Deathcrush (Mayhem cover)

Reuploaded

Here is the second demo of the Swedish Behemoth (who changed their name to In Aeternum - a smart move considering the Polish Behemoth had already back then gained some name). It was originally supposed to be a studio demo called "Like a Wailing Winter Wind" but the guys could not afford studio after buying new equipment so they recorded this rehearsal demo instead. I read about them in a zine in 1994 and curious to hear the music sent a tape + postage & received this. No cover and not even a track listing so for the longest time it was just "The Ancient Kingdom, track 2, track 3, Deathcrush" to me. So no cover art, there probably wasn't a real cover anyways. Instead I scanned their charmingly clumsy logo from Goetia #2.

Another notable thing is that the first track is missing a few seconds from the beginning. I can't remember for the life of me was it like that when I received it, or was it my screw up when I recorded it onto another tape. Still, it's 2-3 seconds so it should not be a grave matter.

UPDATE: I hadn't  noticed it but Ablaze Productions had re-released this, "Domini Inferi" demo and In Aeternum demo material on CD already in 2014. So I recommend you to pick that release up if you enjoyed this demo. I know I will.

Grimm (Fin) - Soulraper demo 1998

Grimm - Soulraper demo 1998
1. Soulraper
2. Kun Taivas Kylvi Pimeyden
3. Tulkoon Hänen Valtakuntansa
4. Closed Gates Of Tomorrow (The Cold Harvest) - Enochian Crescent cover
5. Bonedancer - Enochian Crescent cover

Mediafire

The only release of the Finnish Grimm, a black/death metal band from Kuusamo. I got this demo from... a distro back in 1998. In all honesty, I bought it just for the EC covers, although I was still keen on hearing all new black metal bands I came across and demo tapes were cheap. Back then the summers were also warmer, there was more snow in the winter time, beer was cheap, girls looked less plastic, colours were more vibrant, food tasted better etc.

Lords Of The Left Hand (pre-Behexen) - Reality Is In Evil demo 1995

Lords Of The Left Hand - Reality Is In Evil demo 1995
1. I'm Unholy One
2. Ave Satani
3. Reality Is In Evil
4. Thanatos

Reuploaded

Here is the debut (and only) demo of the pre-Behexen Lords Of The Left Hand. No proper covers I'm afraid as I got this demo from a tape-trading friend around sometime in 1996. The quality is still listenable and the band sounds pretty unique in my opinion, vocals are also different from the Behexen-style howls. Definitely a piece of history worth checking out for all into Finnish black metal. Little surprising they never rereleased this recording.

Barathrum - Devilry promo tape 1997

Barathrum - Devilry promo cassette 1997
1. Necromantical Ritual
2. Last Day In Heaven
3. Revenge By Magick
4. Angelburner

Narod

Bandcamp

Ok, another tape I bought from Levykauppa Äx in Kuopio, and whatever Metal Archives says I could swear it was 1997 fall/winter when I was there pondering if I'd buy this or the "Jetblack" 7"EP. I bought this one and was really happy about that. You all probably know these songs from "Legions of Perkele" album 1998, but the demo versions are definitely worth downloading.

I know there is at least one other rip of this tape floating around, as I had it, but I have to say my rip is better quality than the one I had loaded before. His tape was probably worn more than mine. Anyways, be sure to check it our if you like "Legions..." and even if you don't still give this a try, the versions are rawer and closer to old Barathrum sound.

UPDATE: If you're a trendy vinyl collector you'll be interested to know Saturnal Records recently released a picture disc of this, see here. Personally I'm a bit dissappointed it seems to be only version made.

UPDATE II: Added Bandcamp link, there's a digital version too, remastered by Zetekh so check that out!!!

Kyprian's Circle - Käärmeenkantaja demo 1997

Kyprian's Circle - Käärmeenkantaja demo 1997
1. Intro - Chryse Planitian's Lunarise
2. Kun Puhui Myrskyn Henki
3. Hän Öisin Saapuu
4. Käärmeenkantaja

Depositfiles

Kyprian's Circle was a lesser known Finnish black metal band/project, led by Kyprian and supported by a selection of session members, best known being Nazgul/Satanic Warmaster who does the vocals on the "Noitatulen Vartija" MCD. I'm not sure if this is the 2nd or the 3rd demo, anyways it's a 1997 demo which I, curiously enough, purchased from a record store, Levykauppa Äx in Kuopio in 1997. I must say I prefer SW's vocals to the session guy here. Cool stuff nevertheless and I'd like to receive the other two demos as well, so drop me a line if you have them.

Azazel - Rehearsal 1992

Azazel - Rehearal 1992

1. Messe Noir
2. Azazel
3. Invocation of the Four Gates
4. In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas
5. Lord of Demons

Download discontinued, buy the Azazel CD from:
Werewolf Records
Northern Heritage
 

No image, I'm afraid as this is not an official release by any means. However, it was spread on the tape-trading circuits in the 1990s. Well, to be honest, not that widely even then as I got this one from Satanachia after much persuasion with the permit to share it around. I think this take on the songs is worth taking a listen, as the sound is clear if a bit necro. Unfortunately the last song cuts before the end, but that's the recording I got. Maybe they ran out of tape?

UPDATE: Last Rites (Werewolf rex+NH co-op) have released Azazel - Crucify the Jesus Christ Again on CD and it includes this rehearsal as bonus. So it will be no longer available for download, get the CD.

Azazel - Crucify The Jesus Christ Again demo 1993

Azazel (fin) - Crucify The Jesus Christ Again demo 1993 (with the 1994 bonus track)
1. Intro
2. In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas
3. Lord of Demons
4. Azazel
5. Invocation of the Four Gates
6. Ancient Ones Rules As All Again
(7. Sacrifice Virgins to Satan - Bonus track 1994)

Download discontinued, buy the CD release from:
Werewolf Records
Northern Heritage

Well, this is the debut demo of the Finnish Azazel, led by Satanachia, a quite interesting character no doubt. I used to be in touch with him in my tender youth, I sent a tape with postage to get this demo (that was common in the day, we was poor) and got it, with the cover and the bonus track "Sacrifice Virgins to Satan" recorded in 1994 from him and this is the very tape I ripped here, except that he had recorded the bonus track as last on side A so I had to re-dub it to organize it "correctly." So the start of the last song got botched up. I hate myself for that.

Alas, due this being originally a dub, me redoing it and the natural wear tapes take, the quality could be better. Mind you, it sounds pretty necro already even if you had a master tape. I personally enjoy this demo and the rehearsal tape he recorded me later more than the MCD "The Night of Satanachia" released by Maggot rex. The material is certainly Norwegian 2nd wave worship (Satanachia admitted heavily borrowing from Darkthrone's "To Walk the Infernal Fields" on "The Ancient Ones..."), but there's also an early Impaled Nazarene influence - notable from the low additional vocals used ("Tol Cormpt..."). Anyways, I'm afraid this seems to be the best you can get for now as I've searched for a good rip of this tape for many years and came up with nothing. So I gave up and did it myself. Enjoy a piece of Finnish black metal history and share it if you like it.

UPDATES:

Ok it's a bit late but whatever you do, don't buy the tape re-release that was put out in 2012 (I think) as it is not a real re-release, it's this shitty rip dubbed on a tape!

UPDATE: Last Rites (Werewolf rex+NH co-op) have released Azazel - Crucify the Jesus Christ Again on CD and it includes the rehearsal as bonus. So this will be no longer available for download, get the CD!!! It should be made from a proper master so no more missing bits!

December Wolves - Wolftread 1994

December Wolves (us) - Wolftread Demo 1994 (aka Cassette EP)
1. Towers... (Intro)
2. The Towers Of My Cold Stone Dwelling Over The Mountains And Cliffside Landscapes
3. ´Neath Our War Hammer
4. Throughout The Midnight Mist

Updated links with covers courtesy of Matt! Hails!

The first release by the US black metallers December Wolves. I got a dub of this one from Scott in 1996(? ...or 1995?) and unfortunately he did not include a cover so we had to do with the Metal Archives image... until I was provided with cover images by Metal Matt, thanks bro!

Ripped by yours truly and I think the quality is quite listenable. As for the music goes, I think this tape (referred to as a Cassette EP back in the day, instead of a demo) is better than much of the other DW material.

Seems to be very hard to find on the Inter Nets, so I thought I might as well start with this one.