Moonstruck - Under Her Burning Wings demo III 1996
1) Under Her Burning Wings
2) Falling Through Silent Skies
3) Where Hope Lies Dying
Sendspace / Mediafire
Melodic death metal from Sweden, mid-90s. Hey, come back, we're not done yet! Ok, in case someone stayed let's continue. Moonstruck were a less known death metal band hailing from Bjärred, apparently formed back in '93 and this is their third demo, recorded in October '96 and released... somehow I'm thinking it was actually released early '97 but the present public opinion seems to favour 1996 so let's just go with that. Anyways, I got this while tape-trading in the olden days and can't really remember why I picked it, seeing as I wasn't into melodic death metal at that time (either). Probably liked the name or some similar well established and researched reason. No cover, I've borrowed the small image from their Metal Archives entry. Released by Supremacy Records, which I suspect was their own label, the cover was all shiny and fancy. Or so I recall from a flyer I had (possibly still have).
Besides the quasi-professional look, the sound is also quite polished. Compared to the average German rehearsal room recording of the era at least. Anyways, it still sounds obviously like a demo recording while you can hear they have some experience under their belts by this time. Music is, uh, melodic death metal. Made by Swedes. In Sweden. So you know, it sounds like that. Though I do imagine hearing traces of more Finnish sort of melodeath on the first track now as I listen to it through second time today. Slightly folky tones, don't make me drop the obvious name. Still active, name starts with an 'A'... Right, this isn't going to lead anywhere; it has become a well known fact that I can't say anything clever when it's melodeath, but I know there's an audience for this material and I was quite surprised not to find a rip of this at higher bitrates. They made an album too in '99 so pick that up if you like this demo. Not that I'd actually heard it, but they did record all of these songs for it too so I presume it continues in similar vein.
Bought it from the band back in the day, would say that it actually was in -96 but could have been early -97 maybe. Still have it, could scan the cover if you'd like to have a more complete post.
VastaaPoista@:Vragh:
VastaaPoistaYeah, I'd like that if you could do it. Use the email on the side panel, alright?
AHey, I enjoy some Swedish melodeath from time to time, I have the Moonstruck album and enjoy it so I was happy to come across the demo here. I'm not so much into In Flames or Dark Tranquility but I really enjoy some of the more obscure stuff like A Mind Confused, Moaning Wind, Miscreant, even some early Eucharist and the first A Canorous Quintet. Excrection was on of the more aggressive melodeath bands to come from Sweden that I also give a spin from time to time. Some of those melodeath bands started out with corpsepaint and were playing Darthrone style black metal on their demo like Satariel. If you read the second and third issues of Skogen Zine you'll see some bands he covered early on (Sascha was a Sweden worshipper for certain) who were releasing their demos in corpsepaint but moved towards melodeath when their debut albums came out. Of all of them though, I think my favorite was the debut of A Mind Confused.
VastaaPoista@anon:
VastaaPoistaActually, considering how I am familiar with all the bands you mention, except Excrection which does not ring any bells now, I suppose I should say I at least dabble(-d) in the field even though I've never considered it among my favourite of genres and did enjoy it every now and then. Don't think I've heard A Mind Confused for years... though I tend to mix them with A Canorous Quintet, for obvious reason!
If you have a look at the old posts you may notice I've done Satariel demos and the side project Belsemar too. Wasn't really keen on their total melodeath turn, I have the first album but seldom listen to it. Did you ever listen to Infernal Gates? Similar era as the others mentioned, maybe a bit more doomy.
Sure, I'm familiar with Infernal Gates, they had an interesting take on doom. During the mid 90s it's safe to say that I was listening to 60% Swedish metal at that time. I remember getting the House of Kicks catalogs.
VastaaPoista