Absent Silence - Demo II 1996

Absent Silence - Demo II 1996
1) Dismal Silence (Intro)
2) Clouds
3) Whisper From North
4) Lakes Of Mist
5) There Where Wolves Gather
6) Autumn (Outro)

Reuploaded

Some of you might have heard "Dawn of a New Mourning" the only album by Finnish dark/black metal band Absent Silence, released on No Colours in the end of the 90s. Most probably haven't. I'm not posting that album here however, this is their 2nd demo from 1996, recorded while they were still a three-piece and with the old vocalist. He might not be the greatest singer around but gets the job done and I like the whispers he sometimes uses. Fiendish Nymph, Black Crucifixion and such come to mind.

The sound is clean, recorded in studio and ripped from an original tape without much wear or tear so it's quite easy on the ears. No Colours called their style "bombastic dark metal" on their flyer and it's not very far fetched even if the demo is a little more down to earth than the album. Try it, it's the last post for 2009 too.

Moonspell - Live in Beerse 17.09.1995

Moonspell - Live at CC Heilaar, Beerse, Belgium 17th September 1995
1) Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquerade)
2) Love Crimes
3) ...Of Dream And Drama (Midnight Ride)
4) Vampiria

Reuploaded

Last calls for 2009 and can't have the year end without another live tape, can I? Even better it's old Moonspell. Yes, again. I told you earlier I was fond of this stuff. Wolfheart-era songs, but only four this time. I'm not sure if this is incomplete or if they really had such little time to play, but this is all I got. If this is incomplete, I'll be pleased to know what's missing and even happier to receive a full show.

As usual this is a bootleg with less than stellar sound. Listenable, sure, but a little muffled. You wouldn't be even reading this if you minded too much I guess.

Meathooked #2

Meathooked 'zine, issue 2
Interviews:
Unhola
...And Oceans
Bethzaida
Gorewinter
Northern Sound Records
Imperial Foeticide
Red Harvest
Gandalf
Jesus Martyr
Choronzon
The Great Kat
Woods Of Belial
Heresiarh
In The Woods...
Thyrane
Season Of Mist
Musta Surma
Jotunheim
Mother Depth

Deposit

This was requested by Gal of Into The Woods... but I think it will be of interest to others as well. Meathooked was a Finnish 'zine made by the Sorvali cousins of Moonsorrow (the primary reason for interest in this I suspect) and some of their buddies in the late 90's, the era of decline in the black metal scene, which can be noticed while reading. Some of the interviews will no doubt be of interest to the visitors of this blog and there are some articles and two scene reports as well. I don't personally like the 'zine too much, it reeks of later 90's and the editors have read too much Isten. But give it a try, there is worthy content too.

Belsemar - De svarta gudarnas sömn demo 1993

Belsemar - De svarta gudarnas sömn demo I 1993
1) De svarta gudarnas sömn
2) Blow Out All Candles
3) Dream Journey
4) Den vise blöder
5) Bleeding Of Despair

Reuploaded

Like earlier kind of promised, here is the first Belsemar demo. For more babbling about Belsemar & Satariel, see the other post. This is not my rip, I wish it was but I don't have this tape, yet*. I got this from the Inter Nets and am not 100% sure of who ripped it so thanks, person! This sounds a little more rough and raw than the second demo and I think I might prefer this one out of the two. All instruments are audible, including even the bass (at times at least) and again synths are well used in few places to add to the atmosphere. I think that's enough, you should know without reading if you want this or not.

*If you have this tape, send it to me immediately, you don't need it, who listens to tapes this day and age?

C.O.D. - Burn The Victims demo 1993

C.O.D. (fin) - Burn The Victims demo 1993
1) Through The Gates
2) Kingdom Of Death
3) Disaster Area
4) The Executioner
5) Inner Self (live)
6) End Has Begun (Live)

Reuploaded

First off I apologize for the piece of shit image I had to use here, but seems like the corrupt pic uploaded to M.A. is the only one available on the Inter Nets. I got this demo tape through a tape trading contact who didn't copy me the cover, unfortunately. Anyways, it's what's inside that counts, right? Right... this is the Finnish C.O.D. and they play death metal. You see them called doom death around the web but that'd be really appropriate for the later material. This demo is death metal with touches of thrash, though if you're really determined you can find hints of doom in it I guess. More like thrash and heavy metal influences I say.

The tape is split into studio and live part like you probably could tell by looking at the track listing, the studio tracks have a good demo sound with all instruments audible, if little muffled. It doesn't sound very heavy or morbid, not very death so to say. The two live tracks have a clear enough sound, I don't know if they're older tracks or what, but they sound more brutal. Probably courtesy of the live conditions. It's a tape worth downloading if you are obsessed with old Finnish metal, happen to be an actual fan of the band (though it's different from the later material), compulsively need to hear every 90s demo or whatever else you come up with.

UPDATE: New link as the archive on MF was, once again, corrupted.

Absu - Live in Rotterdam, 22.04.1995

Absu - Live at the Baroeg, Rotterdam 22nd April 1995
1) Intro
2) Cyntefyn's Fountain
3) Feis Mor Tir Na N'Og
4) ...And Shineth Unto The Cold Cometh...
5) The Thrice Is Greatest To Ninnigal
6) The Coming Of War
7) Never Blow Out The Eastern Candle

Reuploaded

Absu is one of my favourite US bands, so naturally I've picked up some bootlegs of their live shows as well. Unfortunately, I had most on VHS. Here's one of the few I got on tape, another gig at the Baroeg and promoting "The Sun Of Tiphareth" album & the "...And Shineth..." 7"EP released the same year. Good set, I would've only switched "The Coming Of War" with "The Sun Of Tiphareth" or "A Quest Unto The 77th Novel" or preferably added them and a song or two from "Barathrum.: V.I.T.R.I.O.L." but can't have everything, I know. Especially pleased with them including "Cyntefyn's Fountain" - they better still do that live if they ever finally wander up to Finland!

Enough babbling, back to business. The sound of the recording is pretty good for a Baroeg gig. Nothing's really too loud, though this time I could have the drums louder. Biggest gripe with this one is probably the way too long and tedious intro bit, but I decided to remain faithful to the original dub and not shorten it. At least you can skip it, unlike me when I listened to it on cassette. Recommended to all who bother with these live bootlegs in the first place and Absu fans of course.

Northern Heritage #1

Northern Heritage 'zine, issue 1

Reuploaded

Another request, this time I scanned the first issue of the Northern Heritage zine. Pictures are simply jpg's, I don't like pdf. NH the label should be familiar to most of you, but the short-lived 'zine (I think he made two issues) might not be. All the bands in this issue are Finnish and play black metal. Not much more to add, it's a good little zine (A5 size) and recommended read for people into Finnish black metal.

UPDATE: Go here for the 2nd NH issue!

Mirkhall - Winter Of Tragedies Reign demo 2000

Mirkhall - Winter Of Tragedies Reign demo 2000
1) Winter Of Tragedies Reign
2) Stormbreath Of Fear
3) Heathen Hearted
4) Under The Banners Of Eternal Pagan North
5) Cursed Fullmoon Fog

MediaFire

December 6th is the Finnish Independence Day so to celebrate that I decided to post something Finnish, Mirkhall's 2nd demo to be precise. Mirkhall was a pagan, or I guess they prefer heathen, metal project featuring Shatraug of Horna and several other Lappeenranta-based musicians. This is their second demo which I bought quite recently, ripped the other day and uploaded now. Sound is good enough for a demo recording (home studio I'm guessing) and actually adds more to the atmosphere than a polished studio job would. I'm not feeling like writing now so go ahead and download it already.

Forest Of Impaled - Mortis Dei EP 1996

Forest Of Impaled - Mortis Dei cassette EP 1996
1) Beckoning Midnight Dreams
2) Orgy of Unearthly Delights
3) Mortis Dei
4) Mystic Sight of the Infernal Horde
5) Dark Shades of the Astral World

MediaFire

Once again across the ocean to the States and this time the debut EP of Forest Of Impaled, who play quite fast and wicked hybrid of black and death metal, leaning more on the black side at least here I think. Tape-traded item, but with good sound. My copy was of the Polish cassette EP version, I don't think it differs fundamentally from the CD version. No cover and all the cover images online seem to be from the CD version so I just uploaded the logo.

The music is mostly fast-paced and might remind you of middle-period Marduk, not a carbon copy though and the death metal elements spice things up, as do the occasional synth bits in the background. It's not the melodic Swedish style, more brutal. Good release and makes me want to check out their albums.

Decortication - Promo 1994

Decortication - Promotape 1994
1) The Silent Winter Sky
2) (Blue) Like A Sky Without Clouds
3) Funeral Symphony
4) Shadows Of The Dead
5) As The Banshee's Calling

Reuploaded

Swedish material again, now blackened death metal band Decortication, which is kind of connected to Belsemar, the previous Swedes here, as members from both have played in Incinerator! Ok, that was far fetched, I'll admit. Anyways, I got this 2nd release (which was also to be their last) dubbed from the band in 1994 after asking them for the debut demo "Lucichrist - The Third God" which I had spotted in a fanzine. I either didn't receive a cover for this or I've lost it long ago, but luckily this rip had one.

Why am I posting this, as there's a rip already out? Well, to be honest I wasn't too happy with the quality of that one so I decided to rip my tape as soon as I found it. I'm pleased to say this one turned out good soundwise. The music presented is Swedish melodic death metal with black metal influence and touches. Good stuff. If you've heard The Everdawn's debut EP, the first song here was recycled to that release. Give this a try if you're a fan of The Everdawn, or Swedish death or black metal.