Silence of Graveyard - Храм вечной скорби demo 2000

Silence of Graveyard - Храм вечной скорби demo 2000
1) Могильная тишина
2) Пред краем бездны
3) Погребение
4) Храм вечной скорби
5) ...И разверглись небеса

 Reuploaded - 2022

From Finland to abroad again with another contribution sent by Eugene, thanks once more, this was actually sent before the compilation I posted first thing this year here, but that one took priority. This item is a demo of Russian project Silence of Graveyard, hailing from Voronezh and this is the extent of our information for now. The title translates as "Temple of Eternal Grief" and individual tracks (rough Google translations... which you could've done yourself) "Sepulchral Silence", "Before the Edge of the Abyss", "Funeral" and something about heaven that didn't translate correctly. So, looks quite gothy and darkwavey based on the titles and the image of the artist standing by someone's grave.

Sounds too, music is instrumental darkwave with at times almost martial percussions and some electric guitar for that extra bite. Though I got this labeled as dungeon synth I'm reluctant to call it that myself as even if I do feel the dungeon vibe at times I think this feels more gothic, mournful and funereal than medieval, nostalgic or, uh, fantastic. Then again, the sound does vary from track to track and some bits feel totally appropriate so I'm kinda on the fence here. Well, I'm no authority or a specialist on the genre in the end so I suppose I just include that tag too. Eugene called the music "kinda second-rate DS" but I seem to like this today. The rip is low bitrate, unfortunately, but the sound is good. Give it a try!

Chronicles of Elven Witchcraft - Scroll One: Through the Dragon's Orb (1998)

Various Artists - Chronicles of Elven Witchcraft - Scroll One: Through the Dragon's Orb (1998)
Side Lion:
1) Utumno - Orkferd
2) Keep Of Kalessin - Skygger av Sorg II
3) Hypnos - A Lost Piece Through the Mist of Time
4) Zavorash - Return from Grace
5) Valar - At the Gates of Mordor
6) Warloghe - Witch-Song
7) Enid - An Myrrddhinn
8) Raventhrone - The Three-Faced King of Dominion One
9) Maze Of Cako Torments - Kalakiai Opiumis Sizmarshi
10) Horna - Outro
Side Unicorn:
11) Cernunnos - Dasos Ton Tragopodaron Daimonon
12) Heresiarh - The Cruel Bard
13) Slovisha - В лecy
14) Azaghal - Tuonelan porteilla
15) Rakoth - Return of the Nameless
16) Skyforger - Virsaitis Nameisis
17) Svartalfheim - Well of the Highest Knowledge
18) Urospuu - The Black Forest, Part II - Evil Nazgul
19) Kharadrai - My Void Is No More
20) Across The Scarlet Moat - Gold Elvish Tea
21) Trolltjern - Efterord

4shared / Mega

Ok, let's start this year off with yet another compilation tape, but this might be again a bit more interesting as it is the first Elven Witchcraft compilation (though released on the sublabel Engwar) which was sent to me by comrade Eugene who would like us to know this is available due to efforts of two Discogs users, from Finland and Lithuania. So thanks to these people! Cover scans are included. And yes, I recall I promised vile oozing black muck this year but all in good time!

We've come across Elven Witchcraft already several times here in the Coven, usually in connection with fantasy-inspired metal and dungeon synth. Obviously the compilation contains both as well as folky tunes, emphasis more on metal though a few of the metal bands (three to be accurate, Utumno, Horna and Cernunnos) contribute ambient tracks (intros/outros). The music ranges from rather pure black metal (Warloghe, Zavorash - who sound really like Immortal here) to more bombastic fantasy metal stuff (Enid, Rakoth) to folkish/heathen sounds (Hypnos, Slovisha) to pure ambient/synth (Kharadrai, Trolltjern). And as an oddity Urospuu's black/grind. Standouts include Trolltjern's still excellent closer, Zavorash and Cernunnos (I want that cassette album) from the good and the ever-awful Svartalfheim plus Heresiarh (which I used to like but nowadays their female vocals grate my nerves really badly) from the bad. Across The Scarlet Moat suffers from having much lower volume than the rest of the stuff, otherwise the volumes are fine enough and things flow rather well together. Recommendable compilation even though most of the material might be familiar to long time devotees.

Cthulhu - Ph'nglui Mglw'nath Cthulhu R'Lyeh Wgah'nagl Fhtagn demo 1996

Cthulhu - Ph'nglui Mglw'nath Cthulhu R'Lyeh Wgah'nagl Fhtagn demo 1996
1) Fragment I: The Sky of Yuggoth (Summoning Cthulhu)
2) Fragment II: Dream of Cthulhu (Deep in the Ocean)
3) Fragment III: Ph'nglui Mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh Wgah'nagl Fhtagn
4) Fragment IV: Cosmic Streams (Melancholy of Cthulhu)

4shared / Depositfiles

Here's a contribution that's been on my folder for quite long already and it's another non-metal item, this is the 1996 tape from the Russian Cthulhu, later renamed Cthulhu Biomechanical after a change in style and it was a side project of Draugwath/Blackdeath members Para Bellum and Abysslooker. This was released on Para Bellum's Hungry AK-47 Productions, clip 03. I was looking for a rip or a copy of this for some time but fortunately comrade DM had gotten a rip from somewhere and sent it to me, thanks. Notice that the rip was mistagged as CB which is just incorrect. I also edited it slightly to remove some annoying snaps and crackles between the tracks. No cover scans, would appreciate them.

Musically this is dark and quite spooky ambient, Para Bellum calls it "Darkest Cosmic Trance Music" on an interview and I suppose his description is accurate. He also mentions they used only guitars and basses for the recording, no keyboards, which is quite amazing. The music does reach spheres of cosmic otherness worthy of the concept and name and works better than for example Black Orchid as they've kept it instrumental. Some had compared this to Neptune Towers but this is much darker. It sounds like dungeon synth at times, but can you call it dungeon synth if they have used no keyboards? In any case, recommended.

Cain - Child of Cold (1999)

Cain - Child of Cold cassette album 1999
1) Intro (The Rebirth)
2) Return with the Victory
3) Nibelung's Damnation
4) Child of Cold
5) Night Before the Execution
6) Barbaric Ritual
7) Outro (Cain)

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Non-metal material, an item sent by Eugene who runs a Russian dungeon synth VK page, thanks for the contribution! This is Cain, also from Russia, and this 1999 demo which could actually pass well for a cassette album. Seven tracks of which two are an intro and outro for a bit over 43 minutes and printed colour covers with barcodes and all. But since my contributor refers to this as a demo I'll take his word. Cover scans are included. UPDATE: Confirmed as a tape album!

So, do the sounds match the (semi-)pro looks? To a degree, yes. Personally I prefer underground keyboard music like dungeon synth to have a not too polished, sort of out-dated sound and this one does rather well in that department. Excellent, cheesy and casio-like sounds abound! Think of Varg's prison albums. Like Eugene says, this might not be 100% pure dungeon synth, parts of it are more "wintry" atmospheres while some are in almost martial vein like "Return with the Victory", mostly due the percussion. Thankfully there are no vocals to mar the experience, I really prefer my ds instrumental or with very, very sparingly used voices. The easiest name to drop here is, like I actually already did, Burzum circa "Dauði/ Hliðskjálf" which I grew to love from initial dislike/-belief. Like those albums, this starts to sound better after a few listens. Only real complaints are the very brief but still distinct enough mobile phone disturbance on track 5 and track 6 dragging on for a touch too long. Worth checking out if you're into the genre and/or enjoy the synth Burzum.

Unto A Long Glory...2 - Beverina Compilation (1997)

Various Artists - Unto A Long Glory...2 - Beverina Compilation (1997)
1) Dissimulation - Intro / Būk Prakeiktas
2) Apraxia - Freedom
3) Dawn of Gehenna - Dark Side of the Earth
4) Nokturnal Mortum - Perun's Celestial Silver
5) Tharaphita - All Pool Lund Ja Jaad
6) Skyforger - Old Semigallian Warsong
7) Vicious Crusade - Land of Lakes
8) Sunchariot - Voroni
9) Tangrycan - Immortalize Sacrament
10) Mental Home - Into the Realms of Marena
11) Blizzard - Possessed by Hate
12) Alkonost - Shadows of Dark Days

Mediafire

We depart from the realms of NZ death, but if you wish more I suggest you check out raf's with the recent Eviscerate & Mutilated Entrails posts. Our destination today is again the Balkan lands and the surrounding Slavonic domains with the second Beverina compilation, sent by Juris (thanks!) and ripped by me. Cover scans enclosed.

Much of what I wrote on the post for the first Beverina compilation applies here too, the main focus still being on pagan black metal but this time the Slavs outnumber the Balts seven to five. Also, there are no non-metal tracks, unfortunately for some and possibly fortunately for others. Unless you count Skyforger's live folk track. The musical line is a bit more focused on (folk) pagan black metal here but exceptions can be found in the death/doom by Dawn of Gehenna & Mental Home. Note that the covers misspell Estonian Tharaphita as Tharapitha - an error present in the upload, sorry I noticed that too late. Fix it manually. What more I should say about this? Well, it's a very interesting compilation if you enjoy Slavonic/Baltic heathen black metal with atmospheric and/or folky touches. Personally I enjoy most tracks 4, 5, 7, 11 and of course 12 - old Alkonost is a big long time favourite of mine! Least enjoyable would be Tangrycan whose vocals I can't seem to get into, not very keen on the drum machine either. This tape was in very good condition so there's not much in the glitch and impurity department - naturally some wear in inevitable. Not sure whether the first one or this is better but both are nonetheless recommendable.

Unto A Long Glory...3 - Beverina Compilation (1998)

Various Artists - Unto A Long Glory...3 - Beverina Compilation (1998)
Part 1 Slavonic Glory
1) Thy Repentance - Moon Roots of War
2) Nokturnal Mortum - Lastivka 2
3) Crypthowl - Of Seductress in Obsequal Attire
4) Valhalla - Hour of Battle
5) Miktlantekutly - Cemetary
6) Graal - Grand All Embrace
7) Satarial - The Queen of the Elves' Land
8) Misanthropic Poetry - I'm Screaming in the Raven Hills to Sun Will Never Rise
(non-Slavonic bonus track)
9) Fall of the Leafe - The Celestial Keeper
Part 2 Baltic Glory
10) Manatark - Roosteik
11) Heresiarh - Dragons Domain
12) Thy Lord - Mardus
13) Anubi - Kai Pilnates Akis Uzmirks Mirtis
14) Kalm - Igaveseks Mälestama Moistetud
Part 3 Tears of Stone
15) Forgive-Me-Not- Midnight World
16) Chalice - Holy Water
17) Morgain - About

Depositfiles

A compilation tape, again, I've spent some time ripping these ones recently. It's kind of easy. This particular one is a third of a series by Beverina, I must say I haven't heard any of the previous ones - this was an item I just got in random from a small distro. However, the label Beverina was familiar to me, with loads of Slavic and Baltic bands. Of which a load are obviously featured here. The genres of music and quality vary from artist to another and I have to admit I used to prefer this to several other compilations back when I got it. No longer though, most of the material sounds to me awfully generic if not poor but for select ones - probably this is due my taste having been "evolved" or whatever. Still, there are some very good tracks and many not at all notable ones.

This one is a rip of an original tape, with cover scans included. Sound quality and levels are much better than your average 90's compilation - there's nothing exclusive so I can't really recommend it to anyone already into the bands involved and with all their stuff. The division of the bands is, as you see from the track list, Slavonic (mostly ex-USSR) bands on side A, Baltic (well, they're Baltic) start and go for most of side B with a handful categorised as "Tears of Stone" ending it - these are gothic rock/metal. I don't think I've much more to say about this one, but do pick it up if you're curious. Standout tracks for me include 1, 2, 4, 14 & 16. Oh by the way, Finnish Fall of the Leafe ends side A - even if not a Slavonic band.

Tales Of Ancient Lakes - Compilation Tape Volume 1 (1998)

 

Various Artists - Tales of Ancient Lakes compilation, volume 1 (1998)
1) Crypthowl - Of Seductress In Obsequal Attire
2) On Wings - My Page
3) Vigilia Mortum - Creature at the Threshold
4) Skyforger - Night of the Winter Solstice
5) Insania Trivium - My Jesus is Dead
6) Con Dolore - Test to Freedom
7) Heaven Grey - Shadows in Rain
8) Valhalla - Lost in the Forest
9) S.C.A.L.P. - Till the Clouds Fly
10) Grenouer - Wakening of the Lords
11) Nightsky Bequest - Enchanted Name
12) Poccolus - Kirsk, Medeine, Kirsk
13) Promontory - Unknown Person
14) Apraxia - Northern Wind & Black Sky
15) Maze Of Cako Torments - Niavi Gavs Cechls (Remix)
16) Postmortem - No Peace

Reuploaded - 2022

I wrote I'd do some compilations too so I guess it's about time I post one. I thought I'd start with this compilation tape from 1998 released by Ancient Lakes Productions of Belarus, containing almost 90 minutes of death, doom, black and folky metal from the former Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance-countries. Mostly good sound and content ranges from the quite well-known and excellent to the never-heard and less than interesting. Overall it leaves a positive feeling and in many cases an urge to hear more. Speaking of which, I want more Maze Of Cako Torments so leave me a note if you have their demos. The compilation was ripped from my original copy which I got from who knows where, so it is a decent rip and scans of the covers are enclosed.

Misanthropic Poetry - Inhaling the Wind of the Burning Grim Dreams

 

Misanthropic Poetry - Inhaling the Wind of the Burning Grim Dreams demo 1999
1) Intro
2) I'm Screaming In The Raven Hills To Sun Will Never Rise
3) Ancient Season Of Misrulli Frost (In My Vastland)
4) Dragons Sail The Night Sky... (Hordes Of The Highest Nocturnal Horizons And The Wizard Star Paths To Oust The Morning Light)
5) Inhaling The Wind Of The Burning Grim Dreams (...And The Mighty Hammer Roars)
6) When The Night Shades My Forest Stones
7) Through The Times To Stone Gills Of Eternity Fall
8) Their Land We'll Come

Reuploaded - 2022

Russian black metal, this being the Beverina version of the tape's re-release I had in hand (the other was released by Pussy God recs) and if you could not tell by having a look at the long, long songtitles they were heavily influenced by older Immortal, the "Battles in the North" and "Blizzard Beasts" albums especially being the reference here soundwise and perhaps musically as well, though the feeling is more primitive and savage. There's a bit of shift on the sound from middle of 4th track on (to better), not sure if it's just my tape or some glitch.

I ripped this from original Beverina version, as said on the beginning, which I got from some distro in 1999 and cover scans are included. Not much more to add, it's not really my shot of vodka but feel free to try it.

Сивер - Сивер demo 1998

Сивер - Сивер demo 1998 Siver - Siver demo 1998
1) Пролог Prolog
2) Пламя гнева Plamya gnewa
3) Предсмертие (сонеты) Predsmertye (Sonety)
1. Плач звездного неба
2. Агония
4) Сивер Siver
5) Тишина Tishina

Reuploaded

Слава России! Russian black metal from Murmansk is the offering today. Those who are allergic to Cyrillic may see the transliterated titles on small after the proper ones above, but be warned the .rar contents are also Cyrillic. Here might be a good time to point out I can't speak Russian so don't post comments in the language, m'kay?

Back to topic: this is (as far as I know) the only demo of the band Сивер (Siver) and they play atmospheric and melodic black metal with raw & cold sound. They have accordion too. WARNING: I have an original demo tape (well, it's a normal cassette with 2 sided xerox covers, bought from one of the distros in 1999) and don't know if anyone else has the same problem, but there's annoying disturbance in the end of the 3rd track, as caused by a mobile phone. I don't know if it was the distros fault (presuming he dubbed from a master tape onto blanks and sold them) or the band themselves. I know for sure I didn't cause that. Fortunately it's very brief but still annoying.

Notice that the aforementioned 3rd track Предсмертие (сонеты) is divided into two parts Плач звездного неба & Агония with a noticeable break in between. However I did not divide it into two tracks as it is listed as one on the covers (cover scans included in the download) as one song. That's quite enough writing for now, even with the flaw at the end of the 3rd song this is a recommendable demo.

Valhalla - Winterbastard (2000)

Valhalla (rus, Ekaterinburg) - Winterbastard CD 2000
1) Winterbastard
2) Dreams Of Apocalypse
3) ...Fireshine Of Lightnings
4) Wintry Dreams
5) Towards The Eternal Unlight ...On Black Wings Of Death
6) Ins Nama'v Great Fyr
7) Requiem To The Welkin
8) Starflaming Heart Of Ural
9) Eve Of Winterdawn

Reuploaded / Here too
 

We continue with material that sounds awfully similar to black metal but is not black metal, this time featuring the Russian self-titled "forest metal" band Valhalla, not to be confused with the other Russian Valhalla, or the Ukrainian Valhalla... or the other ten or so Valhallas either but the first ones might trick you. The band stated on several interviews that they are neither Satanic or pagan (and actually resented pagan bands) and that they were antireligious and misanthropic. Having a look at the lyrics reveals a quite Immortalesque approach. The music is melodic and not bad, better than I remembered. A bit "soft" maybe but it's not black metal after all.

This CD was released on Finnish Northern Sound records (who later evolved into No Sign Of Life) in limited edition of 666 copies and sold out, according to the interviews, in three months. As a repress seems unlikely I thought I'd rip and upload it, so here you go. Cover scans included. That's all I guess, take it or leave it.

Primeval Chaos - From Infinity of Chaos

Primeval Chaos - From Infinity of Chaos demo 1998
1) Under The Dying Sun
2) From Infinity Of Chaos...
3) Gotterdammerung
4) Master of Infernal Flames
5) Immortal Creatures of Darkness
6) Kingdom of Eternal Grief
7) Call From the Past Forlorn
8) Primeval Chaos

MediaFire

Another less-known black metal release, this time from St.Petersburg, Russia. Melodic and atmospheric style but still quite raw, with a very obvious drum machine. In general the sound is ok and there is certain ambition to the music, even if it's not really my shot of vodka it's not at all bad. I got this by tape-trading so again no cover, there's not even a logo available this time so I posted it with the MA band image. If you happen to have the cover and have access to scanner leave me a note!

Der Gerwelt - Revelation demo 1998

Der Gerwelt - Revelation demo II 1998
1) Sons Of The Moon And Fire
2) Revelation 666
3) The Darkness And Hate
4) Descending In The Mist

Your download link

A Russian black metal demo for change, I bought this tape and a handful others from Deadcentre distro in 1998/1999 and was a little surprised by the content. I had expected far more raw sound and musical expression than the clear-sounding and melodic (very Nordic-influenced) black metal on this tape. There are four songs listed on the cover, though the last one is more like and intro but there are intro pieces to each of the three proper songs. I didn't cut them into separate tracks as they were not listed, I guess they are meant to be part of the parent songs.

Good sound, silly covers, melodic Nordic-style black metal. Not much else to say - well, maybe I might need to mention they used drum machine but it's not too bad. The first song has a very slightly lower volume than the rest, courtesy of me fumbling a bit, but not enough difference to distract I think. Go for it.