Alastaro über alles (bootleg compilation)

Various Artists - Alastaro über alles bootleg compilation "2014" (CD-R 199? / 200?)
M.O.T.U. - Exclusive Tracks:
1) Maxillofacial Ultrabrutalectomy
2) Discodeath
3) Osteoporotic Tissue Fragmentation
4) Jazz Club Saturnus
5) My First Riff
6) Endotracheal Thrombophlebitis
7) Hopeinen kuu
8) Improvisaatio
Orvonton - Demo I 1997:
9) Intro
10) Hyperkrist - Kirkebrannens natt
11) Drep de falske
12) 'S.R.201'
Sacrilegeous - Exclusive Unreleased & Demo Tracks:
13) Haunted Mental Hospital
14) Ereht Tuo Si Hturt Eht
15) Naar skyggene vandrar over Hornafjörður
16) Blaspherious to Evil
17) Sacrilegeous Suicide
18) Into Evigheten
19) Død kalm
20) This Is Who We Are
Evil0 - Exclusive Unreleased Tracks:
21) G.B.H.
22) Scifi
Gothmog [fin] - Exclusive unreleased track:
23) Sathanas der Shoppe Bok Bok

Mediafire / 4shared

It was Father's Day today in Finland as well as in several other northern countries and I decided to commemorate it with another big post... actually originally I was going to do a non-metal item but then thought it was high time I'd post this contribution sent last year by brother Grev, who also happens to be a father so merry Father's Day G and thanks! So, certain portion of my readers love Sacrilegeous and I think we already mentioned this compilation in one of the discussions somewhere in the comment sections, note that it actually has no name: Alastaro über alles is just something Grev decided to call it when he sent the lot to me and I kind of went on with it. To the extent of making a phony cover for it. Yes, the "symbols" around Baphomet are this. Sometimes I really spend my time in dumb ways. Right, so it's sort of a bootleg yet kind of semi-official as it is ripped from a CD-R Grev got from master Necrodesecrator when he ordered a copy of the Nordic Landscapes of Hessdalen EP and asked if older material was available. He did not mention when this was and I've forgotten to ask so we remain uncertain until he eventually tells us. Because just asking him would be too simple.

A note with the tracklisting.

Enough backstory, to the contents. There's a bit over an hour of material, most of time going to M.O.T.U. (21:34) and Sacrilegeous (31:22) parts, while Orvonton and Evil0 both get their roughly six minutes of spotlight and Gothmog the Finnish version represents for 1½ minutes. Not very even division but considering those are his main projects it is to be expected. M.O.T.U. is a mixed bag, starting with an instrumental metal-lish song that wouldn't sound too much out of place on a Sacrilegeous demo, continues with techno-industrial, more almost jazzy and groovy metallic stuff, with and without bizarre robot vox to a schlager classic cover and improvisation. Orvonton starts with an "intro" of static noise, thankfully short, followed by fast and quite harsh (industrial) black metal with obvious and dominant drum machine. It's no Mysticum but interesting nevertheless. Sacrilegeous part here is in the somewhat calmer and more atmospheric vein, with the familiar sound. Mostly instrumental too. Contrary to what one might guess by the song titles, "Blaspherious to Evil" and "Sacrilegeous Suicide" are NOT thinly disguised Deicide covers, first is a synth track and second in the more usual Sacrilegeous metal track style. And so on, you know S. well enough by now. Evil0 is techno/industrial, mostly instrumental if you don't count some quite annoying voice samples. That's enough about that. Gothmog, perhaps surprisingly, is brutal and bestial black metal with unhuman machine drumming and sounds something like Havohej / Profanatica combined with Corneus / Grausamkeit, to make a really crude comparison. Or maybe not. But perhaps that gives some kind of an idea. Recommended obviously to all fans of Necrodesecrator's work as well as those constantly on the look for curiosities of the Finnish underground.

Dark Fire Dancing III (1998)

Various Artists - Dark Fire Dancing III ...it's only just begun Baltic Heathen Darkwave Compilation double tape (1998)

Sword Part (tape I)
1) Zpoan Vtenz - Jos brolis in Karelį
2) Tharaphita - Merekurat
3) Skyforger - Night of the Winter Solstice
4) Anubi - Kranklys
5) Ha Lela - Išjojo Bernelis
6) Manatark - Roosteitk
7) Maze of Cako Torments - The Shaft
8) Dissimulation - Mūšis Rūke
9) Menhyr - Amžinas Priešas
10) Winter Night Overture - Abysmal Winter Sky
11) Smolder - Ašarom Skausmo
12) Poccolus - Ir Aš Nueisiu su Tamsa...
13) Forgotten Sunrise - Blizzard

Amulet Part (tape II)
1) Girnų Giesmės - Veidrodis III
2) Skyforger - Sen dzirdēju, nu ieraugu
3) Laumė - Kur ėjo ji
4) Zpoan Vtenz - Voi ūžkit gauskit
5) King Lear's Convulsions - Mirror into Mirror
6) Siela - Šviečia.Kviečia.Šaukia.Laukia
7) Monkmort - Mother
8) Sala - live excerpt
9) Wejdas - 'Wejdas' excerpt
10) Sovijus - Liūdnas ir Didingas
11) Donis - Ateičiai
12) Akys - Nutolimas

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Today's post is a repost, which is kind of unusual, but people have been asking me for these compilations so I thought I'd post what I have here too, thanks to whoever originally ripped this double cassette and sister Borderline for reuploading it the other month! I fixed some of the tracklisting and stole the top image from Discogs. Sadly, the scans that came with the rip had only the covers for both covers, lacking the booklet with further information on the artists and the big cover itself. Then again, it's kind of fair since we did not buy this compilation, after all. Perhaps I'll get a copy some day.

There's a lot of stuff here so I am not going to go through them artist by artist, track by track. The total running times are kind of funny as the first tape totals a bit over 75 minutes, would roughly fit on a CD, and the second just under an hour. In case you didn't guess it by the tracklistings already, tape I, Sword Part, is metal and Amulet Part is ambient, darkwave and folkish material. Artists hail from all three Baltic countries and represent some of the best known names (Skyforger, Poccolus, Anubi, Wejdas etc) as well as some more obscure ones (well,at least to me, like Sala, Menhyr, Smolder and King Lear's Convulsions). Personally, the non-metal side is the more interesting here, even if the metal part does offer some great Baltic (heathen) metal and is somewhat more consistent. Most of the tracks have been featured on other releases by now, but at the time many were taken from upcoming albums, there's a bunch of live tracks as well as an exclusive track (well, the non-metal one is a remix) on both tapes.

Unfortunately there's a big fail on one of the tracks, most likely the fault of the ripped cassettes owner, hard to belive Dangus would've messed up that big: there's a stretch of silence in the middle of the Sala live excerpt, it even has the telltale noise of recording starting and ending. Other than that the rip would be good. I think I really need to find myself an actual copy of this. Oh and that's again a reminder of one more reason why I've always hated the tape format, I've managed to accidentally dub over a cassette myself back in the day. But enough words, even with the faults a great compilation if you're at all into the old Baltic scene.

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.

Waging the War (2001)

Various Artists - Waging the War compilation CD (2001)
1) Antaeus - Inner War
2) Negură Bunget - Immortality's Elegy: the Vampirism
3) Horna - Synkän muiston äärellä
4) Skjull - The Wanderer
5) Ragnarok - Certain Death
6) Frozen Shadows - Of Pain and Insufferable Torment
7) Lord Belial - Come to the Sabbath
8) Esker - Du Nord
9) Garwall - Par delà le bien et le mal
10) Thy Primordial - The Heresy of an Age of Reason
11) NostraDrama - L'hymne nocturne
12) Celestia - Darkness Enfolds the Sky
13) The Burning - Darkness Soon Will Be (rehearsal)
14) Veneficium - The Awakening
15) Azaghal - Ihmisviha
16) Demon Realm - Eternities Unbound Forevermore
17) Winter of the Black Skies - Rider of the Night

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Traditionally the pre-xmas season is aflush with compilations (though usually of the "best of" -variety) and I thought it'd be a good opportunity for the Coven to participate in this practice. Today we have a Canadian (from Québec to be more precise!) black metal compilation CD that I ripped and scanned some months ago. I don't really remember anymore if I had a real reason to do so, but since I have it I decided to share it. Sorry if I was supposed to post this earlier or if someone elsewhere requested it and I forgot. This compilation was the second release on Sepuchral Productions (which was founded by Frozen Shadows vocalist Myrkhaal). The label reactivated a couple of years ago, still concentrating on local black metal, but they do not sell this compilation anymore.

Seven out of seventeen participants hail from Québec so there is a good amount of local colour here which pleases me. Some of the bands are also a bit on the obscure side which is even better. Frozen Shadows is naturally included and I suppose many of the bands here were associates of Myrkhaal back then, the roster is international but with a slight emphasis on a few countries. Seven tracks were recorded exclusively for the compilation but I think (didn't check all of them) most if not all have since reappeared somewhere. Note that I've fixed some typos and inconsistencies on the tracklisting, most notably Azaghal's track "Ihmisviha" is spelled on the booklet and back cover completely wrong as "Immisvitta" - he probably misread Narqath's handwriting? Everyone plays black metal, ranging from the aggressive start of Antaeus to Thy Primordial's fast and melodic black to the more atmospheric approach of Negură Bunget but pretty much all have certain rawness and speed to them so the variation is slighter than usual. This is of course intentional, as the cover states "...this is not the place you will find cute and fashionable black metal". Might be a pro or a con, depending on your tastes, I don't mind the homogeneousness but admittedly a few more midpaced or slow tracks would've spiced things up.

Neohellist: True Black Metal Compilation (2000)

Various Artists - Neohellist: True Black Metal Compilation tape (2000)
1) Crusade - Camella's Glare Upon Candleflames
2) Impiety - Sodomythical Frostgoats
3) Santhet - The True Witcraft
4) Cryogenic - Fimbulwinter
5) Armageddon Holocaust - The Seven Churches of Apokalypse
6) Unseen Darkness - Glorifications on My Sign Existance
7) Autumn Verses - The October Land
8) Perish - Burning Soul With a Winter Shadow
9) Vaakevandring - Some Day
10) Borgomil - Inferno Resonance
11) Behemoth - Satan's Sword (I Have Become)
12) Neurotic of Gods - Terbuai Mimpi Di Laut Duka
13) Kekal - Embrace the Dead
14) Mortality - Abandonment Unto Our Lady the Infinite
15) Gorbalrog - Sternengriff
16) Mystical - Evil Spells
17) Moonsorrow - Luopion veri
18) Hellgods - Ahl Sohn Bar
19) Maelstrom - The Darkest Winter

Depositfiles / Mega

This is the last of the compilation tapes Henri Sorvali sent me amongst the legion of other rips, well that's not entirely accurate as he sent also two of the Beverina compilations (#2 and #3) which I'd already ripped and posted. I'll still need to compare the quality of our rips to see if I'll replace mine with his rips. But back to today's item, this is a "true black metal" compilation made by Extreme Souls Production from Indonesia. I find it hard to take them and their "true" and "pure" black metal seriously when they start their thanks list hailing "GOD" but perhaps I'm missing something here. Let's not tarry on the label's possible poser status, it should not affect the content of the compilation nor is it the bands' fault.

A good thing about this compilation is that it has a large selection of Indonesian bands which I'm not very well familiar with, making it more interesting than a standard selection of Nordic bands with a token local band tossed in seen too often. The first band Crusade starts with a rather COF-esque track of quasi-symphonic black metal which isn't terrible but not very interesting either. Fortunately the next two bands keep it more real and especially another local Santhet manages to sound quite raw. The compilation goes on alternating between differing takes on black(-ened) metal and manages to maintain a somewhat uniform sound volume- and qualitywise while having enough variation to not get too dull. No major lapses, except maybe Borgomil who sound like their track was recorded in a can, not that it would be an issue. The covers have some errors, Hellgods is spelled "Hell Gods" and Moonsorrow is listed with wrong track. Overall better than average compilation tape, unless you for some reason hate Indonesian bands, and recommendable.

Thousand Lakes Compilation Tape #1 (1995)

Various Artists - Thousand Lakes Compilation Tape #1 (1995)
1) Thy Serpent - The Forest of Blåkulla
2) Wanderer - Surrounded by These Firs
3) Azazel - The Glow of the Golden Fullmoon
4) Perkele - Summernight
5) Diaboli - Mesmerized by Darkness
6) Darkstyle - The Castle of Sorrow
7) Nidhoggr - Thou Shalt Burn at Our Stakes
8) Morningstar - The Eyes of Lamia
9) Nattvindens Gråt - A Lonely October Night
10) Throes of Dawn - Pakkasherra
11) Darkwoods My Betrothed - One Son of the Northstar
12) I Flow In Depths - So Free Are the Wolves (When the Storms Are Coming)
13) Crimson Midwinter - Across the Purple Vision
14) Wintermoon - Night So Cryptic Is All Mine
15) Barathrum - Beltane
16) Voices of Winds - Voices of Winds

Depositfiles / Mediafire

Today is the Finnish independence day and I thought this would be a fitting time to post an all Finnish compilation tape which is another result of my conspiracy with comrade passetiermes, from the selection of tapes he let me borrow in order to rip and scan them. Thanks again! Ok, let's get one thing out of the way immediately: I cheated. How, you ask? Well, I had to rip Nattvindens Gråt track from the CD and re-rip my dub of Voices of Winds tape to have that track complete as somehow the cassette was too short, missing the NG track completely and over half of the VoW song. Apparently it had been dubbed on a 80 minute tape (which I didn't know existed) which is a really bizarre screw up! I found it preferable to have the intended content complete as I had the missing stuff at hand.

As for the content, the selection very well represents the Finnish black and dark metal scene of its day. Obviously one could argue that this and that artist should be featured instead of some present here but such is the nature of compilations. I intended to get a copy of this back in the day but did not, can't remember why. I suppose it was a good thing since none of the material is unreleased so I guess I would've been dissappointed. Wait, that's wrong, Barathrum's contribution was unreleased. So much for that. Even though the material does range from raw, true black metal to atmospheric forest dark metal to Nattvindens Gråt's doom everything fits quite nicely together and nothing really sorely stands out of place as radically different, in out-of-place way. Personal top 3 here is Nidhoggr, Diaboli and Darkstyle. Which are all lumped together! It's a good compilation if you somehow aren't familiar with some of the bands here, or want a mixtape of Finnish 90's stuff for drinking or whatever.

'Til Your Ears Bleed: Vol III European Attack (2000)

Various Artists - 'Til Your Ears Bleed: Vol III European Attack compilation tape (2000)
1) Moonsorrow - Taistelu Pohjolasta
2) Hödur - Unpure Race
3) Tharapitha - Demon's Night
4) Alcoholic Smashing War - Hail to a Long Awaited Alcoholic Victory
5) Eviternity - Cant IV
6) Tangrycan - Immortalize Sacrament
7) Consecrated - The Charming Voice

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Today I've decided to post another compilation tape master Sorvali sent me. Thanks again for the rip and scans to Henri! This is a bit unusual one, though unfortunately does not include extra goodies like the previous one's newsletter. The very non-standard length (a bit less than 38 minutes) is the thing that really puzzles me. Just about every other compilation tape ("A History of Time to Come" would be the first exception that comes to mind) was practically as long as the tape the person used (so either 60 or 90 minutes usually) and seeing as this was divided pretty evenly to two sides makes me wonder if the guy had scored a load of 40 minute tapes somewhere?

Ok, to content. Another thing that I was perplexed by was the timeline presented by the tracks here, four of the seven date to 1997, Tangrycan's track is from '96, Alcoholic Smashing War (jesus what a name!) dates to '98 and Moonsorrow is (again) featured with "Taistelu Pohjolasta" from the '99 demo. Did it really take so long to compile this? Or did he make three volumes and released them simultaneously when finished? And why does he stubbornly misspell Hödur as "Höndur"??? So many questions, so few answers and nobody probably cares. Well, I do so if you have more information, please share. Sound levels here are even and things flow surprisingly well, bands present are interesting enough and almost all play some variation of black/pagan metal (even A.S.W. - to my surprise) with the notable exception of Consecrated's gothic doom. A pretty neat little compilation.

Riding Hellwards: Volume 1 (1999)

Various Artists - Riding Hellwards: Volume 1 compilation tape 1999
1) Moonsorrow - Taistelu Pohjolasta
2) Thorax Serpenti - Hatred Souls (rehearsal)
3) Pandemia - Created Again
4) Nazgul - Celtic Lands
5) Shadowbreed - Path in the Dark
6) Baphomet - Crucifixion
7) Thoronath - Kristet blod
8) Katassamalass - Masticated Human Flesh
9) Svartkrist - Into the Abyss (live)
10) Atavism - Cemetary Cannibalism
11) Impuro - Orgia
12) Diamatregon - Throne to Eternity
13) Bilskirnir - For the Return of Paganism (rehearsal)
14) Demon Realm - Hammer of Hate
15) Unholy Archangel - Foronis
16) Prejudice - Perpetual Pain
17) Grimoria - A Great Sacrifice
18) Gorewinter - Buried by Night
19) Baxaxa - Thorn of Steel

Depositfiles / Rusfolder

I haven't done compilation tapes for a while and since master Sorvali's contributions included these too, I decided to upload this Belgian one today. Thanks to Henri again for the rip and scans! I don't know if more volumes of Riding Hellwards were released, but this one here came with an A4 newsletter and includes almost 90 minutes of mostly black metal bands. To my delight, it also includes a number of domestic bands besides the international cast.

The newsletter is a single A4 sheet, with print on both sides so I suppose I should say two pages. It contains interviews with Black Witchery, Funeral Rites and Moonsorrow, these are all quite short, especially Funeral Rites which is also pretty thin on the information side too. The other two are a better read. As for the main dish, the compilation itself, the sound is good and quite consistent, no extremely drastic volume leaps here. Music ranges from the epic heathen metal of Moonsorrow to raw and fast material like Baphomet to brutal death metal of Katassamalass and bestial blasting of Unholy Archangel. Prejudice's distrubingly modern metal sounding track also stands out like a sort thumb. Quite a varied selection of tracks despite having a black metal focus and several first time listens too. I'm going to need another listen and take some notes, there are a few bands I must inspect further.

Freeze 2 - Finnish Electro-Industrial Documentary 1995

Various Artists - Freeze 2 - Finnish Electro-Industrial Documentary (1995)
1) Chaingun Operate - (Ogre) The Disk Killer
2) NYX - Carnival
3) Control Is The Key To - Kerosine
4) [Active] Media Disease - Blessing
5) Scoutgabe - Chosen Saint (Ground)
6) The Insult That Made A Man Out Of Mac - Underhygiene (Mediascape Edit)
7) Corporal Feast - E=D#Ø1
8) Neuroactive - Surface (Neurogenic Mix)
9) Disaster Village - Core Melt
10) Sweating Sickness - Oblivion
11) Nail - Destroy Your Own World
12) Shade Factory - Missing Again...
13) A-Tyd - Stroke by Stroke
14) Bulimia - Gde Ugodno
15) Feminine Fist - My Crystal Clit

Mediafire / Rusfolder

Here's something for you to chew on a Friday afternoon, another "...and now something completely different" post similar in spirit (and content) to Plastic Sampler here. Though not as gothic and much more electro-industrial (heavy emphasis on electronic). Ripped from a tape (caution!) which was dubbed from CD back in '97 or so, should be good enough quality. Cover images blatantly stolen from Discogs.

This compilation lasts just a bit over an hour which is a pretty heavy enough dose of this material to the uninitiated and probably leaves the cultists asking for more. I suppose I'm personally more in the middle ground here. I'm really, really poor with these subgenres so I don't think I'm going to humiliate myself more than necessary attempting to tell what's what, let's just say this ranges from danceable EBM to spaced-out electronic to cyberpunk electro-industrial to creepy bits. Besides I'm kind of busy today, got places to go and things to do. Recommended for people who liked Plastic Sampler and related posts already, feel adventurous and relatively open-minded or need music for their 90's goth-disco evening.

Undead Productions compilation (1996)

Various Artists - Undead Productions compilation tape (March 1996)
1) Enkil - My Final Sunrise
2) Enkil - Mine King and Queen Are Dead
3) Nephilim - Fire Beyond the Black Haze
4) Black Funeral - Ex Sanguini Draculae
5) Black Funeral - The Floating Blue Witchlight
6) Abazagorath - Les Fleurs du Mal
7) Abazagorath - Nightrealm
8) Demoncy - Ascension of a Star Long Since Fallen
9) Darkness Enshroud - Into the Abyss
10) Sorath - The Darkness Returns
11) Sorath - Winterblack and Sorcery Beyond
12) Haborym - The Ancient Land of Serenity
13) Akhkharu - Prey to God
14) Akhkharu - Cosmic Ecstasy
15) Avatar - A Lost City
16) Darkened Skies - In Winters Ancient Slumber
17) Funeral - Night and Fog
18) Mercyful Fate - Satan's Fall

Yandex / Zippy

It's been several months since I last posted a compilation so this would be a decent spot to do so again. Also this is again a contribution from someone, thank you once more! Undead Productions was the label/distro of Enkil's Magnus Thorne. A second volume was supposed to be released in 1997 but I don't know if it actually was. Somehow I'm under the impression it didn't happen. (UPDATE: Wrong, it was released about a year later as confirmed by various sources!) I could use cover scans for this one, all I presently have is the photo of the cover seen above (and the UP logo).

This was dubbed on a 90 minute cassette, as was pretty much the standard back then. It's pretty obvious when you look at the tracklisting that one of the songs is a filler. Well, he might've been a big fan but still it's obvious. I'm kind of reminded of the Sverd Storm #2 compilation. Moving on, there's a bit hiss present but as I always say it just adds to the tape feeling, no? Most of the roster are US black metal bands, the tape starts with Thorne's own project Enkil and related band Nephilim which you'll possibly remember from the old posts. Baron von Abaddon has been given plenty of room too, with two tracks of Black Funeral, one long, rumbling Darkness Enshroud piece and intro+track from Sorath. The only non-US bands on the compilation are Belgian Avatar, with a track from their '94 demo (which is pretty cool) and France's Funeral, later reborn as Kristallnacht. Oh yeah and then there's the Danish bonus artist. Except for the last one, all tracks presented feature a more or less murky demo sound which is a unifying feature. Standouts include Nephilim's track (which seems exclusive to the compilation), Baron's stuff and Akhkharu for being plain awful. Please don't mix this one with the better one associated with DAP. Oh, almost forgot to mention, Darkened Skies is also interesting as I don't seem to find much (well, any) info on them. Would like to hear more. Anyways, check this out especially if you're interested in the 90's USBM.

Putrefied Compilation Tape (1993)

Various Artists - Putrefied Compilation tape (1993)
1) Beyond Dawn - The Underworld / The Mourner
2) Solemn - Beautiful Surroundings
3) Organic Infest - Lust for Flesh
4) Absolution - In Eternal Service
5) Pleuritic - Endless Pleuritic
6) Cradle of Filth - The Raping of Faith
7) Impaled Nazarene - Condemned to Hell
8) Chapel of Rest - Intro / World Graveyard
9) Iconoclast - Apocryphal Sleep Gethsemane
10) Son of Dog - Crucify the Demi-Gorgon
11) Burial - Intro / Impending Writ of the Last Rites
12) Morbid Symphony - Evil Cares for Its Own
13) Cradle of Filth - As Deep as Any Burial / Franternally Yours, 666 (Outro)

Mediafire / Depositfiles

Another contribution today and a compilation tape which haven't been really too plentiful here I think. This was sent again by comrade Ruptured Souls (thank you) and I don't really have that much background info on it, expect that it's from (probably early) 1993, from the UK and features almost an hour of various sorts of death metal by a dozen different bands, most like Solemn, Burial or the rather well-known Cradle of Filth hailing also from the United Kingdom and the rest mostly European, from the Italian Iconoclast to Finland's Pleuritic and ImpNaz, the exceptions being Puerto Rican Organic Infest and US Son of Dog. Well, that's quite international already. I don't recall where RS had dug this up, but thanks to the original uploader. Alas, not much of a cover scan for this but an image is better than nothing. See an edited version above.

I'm not going to go in depth analysis with each track here, considering these are almost all originally demo material the sound quality is decent if a bit uneven, the rip is quite good with a little wear audible but that merely adds character, no? I said earlier this features death metal and that is really most accurate catch-all description here. Some lean a bit towards death/doom while others sound significantly more blackened. Should be a quite interesting listen if you enjoy old compilations and/or death metal.

Northern Darkness Records Advance - Promo 1996

Various Artists - Northern Darkness Records advance-promo (1996)
1) Godfuck 93 - Tomb Desecration XXX 192
2) Godfuck 93 - 172: Whore Remix (Heroin Control)
3) Entirety - Intro
4) Entirety - Monolith
5) Entirety - Deserts of Vast Eternity
6) Handful Of Hate - Prophecy of a New Assiah's Supremacy
7) Handful Of Hate - Undicies Ah-Qlipha
8) Love History - Intro - From Bohemia's Woods and Fields
9) Love History - Labyrinth of Love
10) Love History - Desires
11) Novgorod - Through the Seven Gates of Kur
12) Novgorod - From the Flesh He Was Created

Depositfiles / Mediafire

Looks like it's been a bit over year since I last posted a compilation tape, time to remedy that I suppose. This item here is actually probably more correctly called a sampler as it was a promotional/advance tape sent around by the Italian underground label Northern Darkness Records in 1996 for free, mostly to distros, 'zines, other labels and people who ordered stuff from them. Came with a xeroxed cover and an ordinary tape with stickers on them. Scanned the cover, not the tape itself. Side A is called "...the Northern Side" and contains advance tracks, unmixed raw versions and side B is "...the Darkness Side" and has tracks from two preceeding releases, Love History MCD and Novgorod demo.

The first two tracks are sort of industrial black metal by Godfuck 93, an Italian project featuring the Necromass vocalist at the time whose name is not mentioned on the cover but I presume it'd be Charles Blasphemy. The music on these two tracks is still mostly pretty straight black metal with drum machine, samples, effects and such. Though the second track has some almost danceable beats, guess later Samael meets Aborym wouldn't be a too far-fetched comparison. I remember being quite intrigued and even excited by this back then. Entirety are also Italian and have a bit cleaner sound than Gf93... for their intro, once the metal kicks in it gets rather muddled and strangely quiet compared to the nice intro bit. Well, like the cover says material on this side of the tape is raw recordings without editing & mastering. Music is melodeath with ample background synths. Think about the Swedes in the 90's. Last on this side of the tape is Handful of Hate, Italian black metal band who are still active and released an album this year. Much clearer sound here, quite fast black metal with typically Italian occult touch and some tempo changes and atmospheric breaks, fortunately. The line-up for the album credits a J.M. for drums but this sounds like a machine here. Might be the sound. This sounds better than I remembered, I guess I have to take another listen to their albums. And that demo.

Side B opens with the intro of the only non-Italian group here, Czech Rep's Love History who play atmospheric death/doom with dramatic touches and different kinds of vocals; whispers, growls, spoken bits and so on. You're thinking My Dying Bride, aren't you? Well, fortunately they've got something of their own going there too, some slightly folksy, Slavonic-sounding (though I suppose these should be Bohemian) melodies for example which sound very nice, reminding me of Gods Tower. The cover doesn't mention their second "proper" track at all, probably due oversight. It's an instrumental piece with almost jazzy parts, showing again another side. They also sound better than I remembered, I recall preferring their country mates Dissolving of Prodigy as if I couldn't listen to both. That's a second band here I need to listen more to. Last is, wait for it, Italian Novgorod with two long tracks taken from their demo. Synth-driven gothic sort of black(ish) metal with a slightly low sound. Not very impressed with them, the songs are a bit too long for their own good and some of the transitions and playing sound very awkward and not in the good way. Annoying as there are some pretty cool moments too. The total duration of the sampler is a bit over 47 minutes and I've written enough about it, I'm hungry.

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... Beverina Compilation I (1996)

Various Artists - Unto A Long Glory... Beverina Compilation I (1996)
1) Monkmort - Brown Power Ritual
2) Gods Tower - Seven Rains of Fire
3) Winter Night Overture - The Inner Endless Darkness
4) Zpoan Vtenz - Jos Brolis in Karelį
5) Postmortem - Farewell Melody
6) Ha Lela - Išjojo Bernelis
7) Alfheim - Quintessence
8) Skyforger - Night of the Winter Solstice
9) Maze Of Cako Torments - Possessed by Smaug - the Dragon
10) Poccolus - Rudens Miško Šnabždesiai

Depositfiles / Mediafire

Let us post a compilation tape for change, this is the first Beverina compilation featuring again Baltic and Slavonic bands... well, this time Baltic bands only with the exception of the Belarussian gods Gods Tower. You may remember I posted the 3rd in the series back in 2010. Well, some months ago Juris of Beverina contacted me and kindly borrowed me his master copies of these compilation tapes and this rip, including cover scan, is the first fruit of that co-operation. So, thanks again Juris!

This tape and the second one were dubbed on 60 min tapes and like on the following compilations the main focus is on pagan or heathen forms of atmospheric metal, ranging from the doom/folk/heavy hybrid of Gods Tower to black metal dirges of Poccolus and also including Baltic melodeath from Postmortem, straight black metal by Winter Night Overture, ritualistic dark ambient of Monkmort and slightly dungeon synthesque material with Alfheim whose nationality the covers do not mention (had a look, they were a Latvian black metal band!). Not to forget another slightly experimental, atmospheric track from Maze Of Cako Torments whose demos I am still desperately after! Despite this being ripped from Juris' own tape, there are some unfortunate flaws present - whether these are the result of simple tape wear or already present on the dubs Juris received I don't know but one can hear them in several tracks. Fortunately nothing major and as usual it'll give you a more authentic listening experience. I feel like I enjoy this compilation more than the 3rd part as it's a bit more compact, feels slightly more consistent and the material in general is superior. Personal highlights are 1, 2, 4, 9 and 10. Recommended!

Epitaph Compilation Tape (1994)

 
Various Artists - Epitaph - New Zealand Death Grind Compilation Tape (1994)
Side A:
1) Entropy - Wanderlust Daemon
2) Sinistrous Diabolus - Wipe Out Christianity
3) Demoniac - The Birth of Diabolic Blood
4) Eviscerate - Severely Butchered Remains
5) Quorthon - Colostomy Bag
6) Human - Turning Green and Starting to Smell
7) Malevolence - Black Sabbat
Side B:
8) Convulsion - Bits of Dog
9) Enshrine - My Tongue a Window
10) Neanderthal - Nun Raper
11) Haemorrhage - Rotting Away
12) Sinfeeder - Young Sappo Girls
13) Demise - Those to Perish
14) Conventional Toasters - The Flu
15) Warpspasm - Chainsaw Enema
16) Cyrrhosis - (Why Don't You) Go to Heaven

Reuploaded

I'm back with another contribution that has been waiting on the limbo of my old HD for too long though this time I had a semi-decent excuse for my hesitation - you see I tried to find a little additional information on this NZ compilation tape but came up with none. The main issue here is that it's lacking completely the artist of the 16th track. So if anyone could elaborate on the last artist and/or provide a cover scan that would be very much appreciated! UPDATE: Got one from comrade F! Thanks! Tracklisting edited and corrected in both post and folder, please re-download for corrected version with the full cover.

Like mentioned above, this compilation tape was a contribution by Stephen, a reader from NZ, thanks again, and features a bunch of bands playing various styles of death metal, from grinding blasts to black metal to slow churning doomy metal of death. A quite good representation of the NZ scene circa 1993 or so (release of the tape was in January 1994) and recommended listen to all into death metal. Especially now that I got the last track fixed with the artist's name and tracklisting in general!

Plastic Sampler vol. 1 (1996)

Various Artists - Plastic Sampler volume 1 (1996)
1) Two Witches - Dreamworld '94
2) Sad Parade - Ten Million Virgins
3) Dreamtime - Servants
4) Sepulcrum Mentis - Salto Cum Diabolo (Demo Version)
5) Hundred Million Martians - Hollow (Demo Version)
6) Exedra - Waltz
7) This Empty Flow - Of Blossom And Decay
8) Advanced Art - I Am the Labyrinth (Special Remix)
9) Shade Factory - Her Last Shore ('93 Demo Version)
10) Timothy Moldray - Image of Reality
11) NYX - Siberian
12) Neverwood - First Try (Failure)
13) Scoutgape - Apology (Special Remix)
14) [Active] Media Disease - This Room (Demo Version)

Reuploaded! - Cover scans+images

Ok, time for another "And now something completely different" - post and this one is very, very different from the usual stuff here. Well, not that different if you think back to Oberon, Landscape & Shadow Dancers which I suppose would be closest comparisons to the material on this apparently uncommon compilation tape made in 1996 by Plastic Passion. I got it from one of my traders who did not provide me with a copy of the covers nor have I ever seen them so no image(s) this time. As always, I'd be happy to get a scan.

UPDATE: Got the scans from Grev, thanks man! Uploaded the scans (+ some pics of the package) as a separate file, link above.

The bands presented on this tape are mostly within the genres of gothic rock and dark electro and with a few (German) exceptions Finnish. Sound is quite good, I don't know if my dub was made from an original tape, could've been. Probably the largest threshold here to cross for my readers is the genres presented. Well, I guess you know by now if you want to check this out or not. Personally I found some of the artists pretty good and actually have further material in this vein in case you're interested. Maybe I post some later but next one will be metal again, I promise.

Black Spirit Compilation (1994)

Various Artists - Black Spirit compilation (1994)
Blashemous Side:
1) Desulphurize - Intro / Darkness in the Deep of the Burning Light
2) Sorath (us) - Black Holocaust
3) Thou Art Lord - The Era of Satan Rising
4) Belphegor (us) - Blessed By the Lord of Goat Excrement / Annoint in Jehovah Blood
5) Catacomb (ita) - In The Shade of the Cypresses
6) Katatonia - Intro / Without God
Sacrilegious Side:
7) Twilight (gre) - Intro / In Wisdom of Darkness
8) Gorgoroth - Sexual Bloodgargling
9) Impaled Nazarene - Sadogoat
10) Grand Belial's Key - Shemhamforash
11) Funeral Urn - Prophecy of the Dead
12) Estuary Of Calamity - My Castle
13) Archgoat - Rise of the Black Moon

Reuploaded

Time for another compilation, this is the one I mentioned at the Belphegor post. And does feature the "whole" Belphegor demo as one track. Made in Greece by a guy called Kostas who apparently made a 'zine too (the cover - which is included - mentions it) this is a black metal compilation even though it features stuff that's not really black metal like the death doomy bands Italian Catacomb and Greek Desulphurize. Ok, the rest are various forms of bm, ranging from the classic Greek style of Thou Art Lord to the raw usbm of Sorath and the Norwegian 2nd wave defining Gorgoroth. Not to mention Katatonia's essential classic "Without God". Too bad they quit.

Unfortunately this 60 min compilation suffers from its sound. I don't know if its due the tape or the equipment the guy used while making and dubbing these but somewhere along the line it got a little screwy and the volumes fucked. And no, it's not due my rip thank you. I know a bit better what I'm doing by now. Anyways, I cut out most of the extra clicks, snaps, crackles and pops. Didn't do much else with it though, so it still hisses and crackles some. And now that I listen I left quite a few in after all. Fear not, it is still listenable quality and hey, this is authentic feeling! Except you don't have to turn the tape around and all that.

Technical details aside, this is a pretty cool tape. The mixture of bands is interesting enough, with some very well known (I.N., Katatonia, T.A.L.) and some obscure (Funeral Urn, Estuary of Calamity, I guess Twilight too) names included and styles ranging from the atmospheric and doomy (Katatonia, Catacomb) to the raw black (Twilight, Sorath) and still onto grindy punishment (Belphegor, Archgoat). It must be mentioned almost all of the "proper" black metal here is on the raw side, which is of course fine by me! Many very good, even excellent tracks, included like my old faves 3, 6, 8 & 10. Actually the only ones I don't like are the Belphegor and Estuary Of Calamity contributions. First is shit and second doesn't seem to connect with me... though I like the slow part. Maybe it'll grow on me, I need to try their demo out. But you check out this compilation already, I don't think you came here to read.

Sverd Storm vol. II (1995)

Various Artists - Sverd Storm samlekasett volume II (1995)
1) Absurd - First Winter of Bloodred Snow
2) Beyond Dawn - Teardance
3) Isvind - Over Blaamyra Steg Kongen
4) Nattvindens Gråt - En avlägsen stjärna
5) Vacuum - Deep in the Sea of Grief
6) Grimm - The Embrace of Cold
7) Carpathian Forest - A Journey Through the Cold Moors of Svarttjern
8) Tumulus - Wodans Jagd
9) Perdition Hearse - Cerberus Lead Us Through
10) Shadow Dancers - God Wanted Dead or Alive
11) Katatonia - Scarlet Heavens
12) Manowar - Kings of Metal
13) Bathory - One Rode to Asa Bay
14) Sacrifice Slaughtered Jesus - Son of the Endless Night
15) In The Woods... - Tell de Døde
16) Carpathian Forest - Outro (Exerpt from Through the Black Veil of the Burgo Pass)

Depositfiles

A compilation fra Norge, made in 1994/1995 by a guy called Arild Breland who also made a zine or newsletter, can't remember. I haven't seen the first tape so no comment/comparison to it. This is a 90 minute compilation and features an interesting mix of mainly atmospheric stuff from genres ranging from black to death/doom to gothic to avantgardish. There are some oddities included like completely out of place and obviously filler tracks on side B by MANOWAR and BATHORY! Yeah I'm sure he likes them and Bathory's song isn't at odds with the rest of the material here (much of it already being atmospheric and/or Norse/Viking/Heathen/whatever oriented) but they certainly break the flow of the compilation which already suffers from the ever so common issue of varying sound volumes - these tracks really jumped on the listener. I somehow doubt he got permission to use the songs anyways. I think the tape was late or somebody's contribution was cancelled and he just needed to fill up the 90 minutes. The other thing that sticks out, not so glaringly though, is the extremely raw and primitive black metal of Sacrifice Slaughtered Jesus, which in case you didn't know is an Absurd sideproject. It's not as obvious though as there is already other raw sounding material presented like the old tracks by Grimm and Perdition Hearse. The compilation came with two covers, which are both included and one is seen above, the other below:



He managed to get a much more interesting line-up than usual, I'll give him that, there are tracks that were exclusive for the time: the songs by Absurd, Beyond Dawn, Nattvindens Gråt and Katatonia which would all be released later officially. The sound is ok, the dub isn't perfect as there are some minor flaws around but it doesn't really bother at least me much. I already mentioned the varying sound levels, which I slightly adjusted but I'm no sound engineer and dislike using normalize-functions so certain amounts of difference remain. It's a homemade tape compilation anyways so it should sound like one! There was a two sided A4 info sheet serving as the booklet, it's been scanned & included too, see a small resolution version below:


Ok, I've now bitched about most things that came to mind, maybe I should continue with how the In The Woods... and Beyond Dawn tracks featured here were also included in a dozen other compilations? Won't do that this time, all said and flaws noted this is a very enjoyable tape and the "filler songs" I ranted about don't really stick out that bad. Ok, Manowar's track does. And S.S.J. is really really crude and primitive, think old Absurd stuff. No, older and really primitive. But it still isn't that out of place... well maybe it COULD be placed somewhere else, instead of being sandwiched between Bathory and In The Woods... Recommeded if you enjoy atmospheric dark music but can also stomach raw production!

PS: I need Vacuum's "Digest of Dreams" demo 1994.

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.

A History of a Time to Come - Proem I (1996)

Various Artists - A History of a Time to Come - Proem I (1996)
1) Beyond Dawn - Teardance
2) Beyond Dawn - The Penance
3) Landscape - Monument
4) Necromicon - When the Sun Turns Black
5) In The Woods... - Tell de døde
6) Kampfar - Hymne
7) Dark Tranquillity - Midwinter / Beyond Enlightenment
8) Mithotyn - A Whining Winter Wind
9) Necromicon - A Part of the Dark World
10) (Thy) Primordial - Svart Gryning / Black Dawn
11) Helheim - Svart visdom
12) Penitent - Veien

Reuploaded

A compilation tape again, this one is from Bulgary but features only Norwegian and Swedish bands. Not that rare back then with the other extremity being of course compilations that featured only domestic bands. Still, it's a shame the Bulgarian guy who made this didn't include a single local band.

The compilation has a bit unusual running time of 70 minutes instead of the more common 60 and 90 minutes, and the A5 booklet with band infos is also a bit unusual. This has of course been scanned & included. Two of the bands do 2 tracks (Beyond Dawn, whose tracks from the 1994 promo are easy to understand, they blend in together - the other is Necromicon, I guess he liked them) and the others contribute one each... well Dark Tranquillity has an intro+song combo, taken from their 1991 demo which is a bit unexpected choice for a compilation made in late 1995. Styles range from the avant gardeish gloom of Beyond Dawn to the melodic black metal of Necromicon to In The Woods... and Helheim's epic norsecore. Nice compilation with a pretty good flow.