Issachar - Medieval Death Hymns demo 1994

Issachar - Medieval Death Hymns demo 1994
1) Black Sorrow
2) December Moon
3) Tor vinter
4) Bring Forth the Sword of Odin
5) By the Dark Winter Frost
6) Weeping Souls of the Forest (Live) - cuts

Mediafire / Depositfiles

Ok, this blog needs some metal again. Issachar from the US were a quite obscure act who released this demo in 1994, recorded an unreleased demo "Wolves in the Winter" in 1995 and turned death metal on "Dead" demo, also from 1995. Not much else I can tell you about them, though I recall reading somewhere about the vocalist/bassist Leon doing time but can't seem to remember where this was or other specifics. A 'zine, obviously. Well, pretty irrelevant I guess. Sent by a tape trader comrade back whenever and unfortunately the sixth track seems to cut, don't know how much. Cover image take from M.A.

Musically, this is quite weird ass stuff - especially considering it's from 1994. I'm not sure at all if I got the tracks divided correctly as it's a bit hard to say in places. First two tracks are instrumental and have this feel of a semi-improvised jam to them, same with the first track "Tor vinter" to use vocals, which are quite extreme black metal shrieks and howls. All instruments are audible and the guitar sound is pretty interesting, not at all the usual choice for black metal. "Bring Forth the Sword of Odin" is lenghty, slow and brooding and more like ritual music/black ambient than metal even though performed with the same instruments plus synth. The live track, which cuts, has a sound quite similar to the rest of the material and is also of the slow and brooding sort. I would be very curious to hear the "Wolves in the Winter" recording, I remember seeing it on many trader lists so let me know if you have it. Not great but probably worth checking out if you like your black metal unusual.

UPDATE: This is a bit late, but Withering Crypt has re-released the "Wolves in the Winter" recording, with the added line "Rehearsals 1995" on cassette back in 2015 and there should still be copies available. It's raw pagan black metal, I got me one.