Ironbird - In the Name of Turisas demo 1999

Ironbird - In the Name of Turisas demo I 1999
1) The Born of Fire
2) Metsänvaltias
3) Pagan Fire
4) Golden Memories
5) Pohjola

Reuploaded

Another demo from "Sinister Satyr" Honkonen, the Morningstar/Minotauri - mastermind. This is basically a continuation of his project Perkele, returning more to the style prior the "Erotic Circus" album. Three re-recorded Perkele tracks from "Pohjola" are included. I got a dub of the demo from an old army comrade of mine who knows Honkonen in 1999 and unfortunately he didn't provide me with a copy of the covers and searching the Inter Nets I couldn't find one either. So, no pics for this post.

UPDATE: Someone posted the crappy image now seen above to M.A. - looks like it's Ironbird instead of Iron Bird. Shit. Fuck. Crap. Oh well, much too late to fix.
UPDATE II: Reuploaded with the name corrected to Ironbird from Iron Bird.

The quality is okayish and seems like this is just about the only rip currently around. I have no idea in how many copies the tape was released originally, probably not too many as it remains very obscure. Recommended for Morningstar/Ari Honkonen enthusiasts, Finnish metal completists and people who enjoy pagan metal.

Nidhoggr - Ravens Over The Road Of Kings demo 1994

Nidhoggr - Ravens Over The Road Of Kings demo 1994
1) From The Forest Came The Wanderer
2) Thou Shalt Burn At Our Stakes
3) Jätä Minut Korpeille...

Download no longer available, buy it from NH or Werwolf

The only release by the Finnish black metal band Nidhoggr, associated with Sigillum Diaboli who survive to this day as Diaboli, was a raw three song demo with obvious norse and especially Burzum - influence. I ordered my copy from the late Nadrach either in the end of 1994 or beginning of 1995 after receiving a flyer for it from my friend. This, however, is not a rip of that particular tape but one that I found quite a while ago on Soulseek. And again I have no idea who made this but I don't think I could make a better rip so I'm just posting this one. Thanks, whoever you were!

This demo is not that hard to find, but I thought I'd post it anyways as I really like it and think it deserves all the attention it may get. Very recommended, especially for those into Burzum.

UPDATE: Well, I'm a little late but this has been released on CD format by Last Rites and is sold by Werwolf & Northern Heritage. So there is no need for this rip to be available, buy it!

Unclean - Ten, Který Se Vyhýbá Svetlu

Unclean - Ten, Který Se Vyhýbá Svetlu CD 1997
1) INTRO - Moudré oko jasnozrení
2) Ten, který se vyhýbá svetlu
3) CHORAL - Ó duse, bdís?
4) Hadí sfing
5) U bran apokalypsy
6) EPILOG - Princ temnot

Go and load from here!

This is the first and so far only real album by the Czech black metal band Unclean. A very promising outfit not embracing the norse sound, they were ignored in the 1990's despite this great album continuing in the Czech tradition set by Master's Hammer, Root and the like.

So far the only releases are the split/demo, this album and the recent split. Gloomy and ritualistic black metal art on this almost-forgotten recording.

Sorath/Unclean - Matache Chavala/Tam Kdesi V Hlubinách (Split 1996)

Sorath (cze) / Unclean - Matache Chavala / Tam Kdesi V Hlubinách (Split 1996)
Sorath:
1) Matache Chavala
2) White Feebleness
3) Unholy Tohu
4) Black To Invisibility
5) Sitra Achra
6) Pope Die!
7) Son Of Darkness
Unclean:
8) Půlnoční Hlasy (Midnight Voices)
9) Kainův Chrám (Temple Of Khain)
10) Poslední Žalm (Last Psalm)
11) Křížová Česta (Stations Of The Cross)
12) Golgatha (Golgatha)

Yandex

A CD release here, bet you didn't expect that? Here is an old split of Czech black metal, released on Barbarud's (Maniac Butcher) label Pussy God Records. Sorath's (not to be confused with the defunct US band of same name, best known for featuring Black Funeral's mr Ford) part was released also on cassette by the band and Unclean's part is their demo from 1995.

As far as I know, this release is sold out and hasn't been repressed. Both of the bands are still active, Sorath's homepage has info in English as well, Unclean's page seems to be just in Czech, unfortunately. Sorath is melodic black/death metal, though slightly rawer and more in-your-face here than the more recent material, and Unclean performs slower, murky black metal with an occult air and somehow very Czech feeling (Root, Master's Hammer, Amon etc). Definitely worth checking out!

The Helheim Society Demo Tapes

The Helheim Society - Helheim demo I 1994
1) Pest (Intro)
2) Saga Døden
3) Saga Mørket

Reuploaded


The Helheim Society - Walpurgisnatt Demo II 1994
1) Pest II
2) Fimbulvinter
3) Walpurgisnatt

Reuploaded

I finally got off my ass and uploaded my rips of the two demo tapes by the "other" Norwegian Helheim, aka The Helheim Society. The music is cold and industrially tinged Norwegian black metal at it's finest, quite raw and unusual. I read the review for the first demo on some zine in 1994 and sent a tape for the demo. I was very pleased to recieve also the newly released second demo for my efforts as well, along with the stark black and red covers. Looking at the covers (and some of the flyers I received) it was easy to notice some NS tendency. Another unique feature was the neoclassical "Pest" intros.

The reason why it took me so long to upload & share the demos was my dissatisfaction with the initial rips I made. Unfortunately, the quality of both my equipment and the recordings prevent me from improving them much. However, I decided to include both the 1st and 2nd rips I made on each folder, it's still around 40mb/.rar. That gives you the chance to stick to whichever version you want. The second demo has much poorer sound quality than the first one and I'd love to get a better version, if one exists. It's very unfortunate that the band ceased to exist after releasing the "Fenris" MCD.

UPDATE: Fenris was re-released along with Vendetta Blitz material recently. The demos might also be released on CD, looking forward to that. Right now reuploaded them, only 2nd versions of the rips this time.

Barathrum - Sanctus Satanas Studio & Stage '93 tape 1995

Barathrum - Sanctus Satanas (Studio & Stage 93) tape 1995
Studio Side
1) Wolf-Age Thunder (Intro)
2) Death Is Saviour
3) SaLuBeLe
4) Land Of Tears
5) The Force Of Evil
6) Black Goat
7) Devilish Sign
Stage Side
8) Death Is Saviour
9) SaLuBeLe
10) Lord Of South And Fire
11) Black Goat
12) Land Of Tears
13) The Force Of Evil
14) Devilish Sign

Download

Here's some wicked jetblack metal from Barathrum; "Sanctus Satanas" studio session of 1993 was originally meant to be the third Barathrum demo but for some reason I've probably heard and forgotten, Demonos Sova just took the last three songs and intro and released them as "Sanctissime Colere Satanas" promo 1993. The whole session, with the notorious gig in Kuopio in 1993 on the B-side, was released on a cassette by Sova in 1995 as the first release of his cassette "label" Pit Rex (the second release was the "Devilry" promo and I think that's also the last release). I got the tape from him when it was released, around the same time Nazgul's Eyrie put out the debut album "Hailstorm" if I recall correctly.

This is a very raw sounding and extremely ritualistic black metal recording. All of the songs have been re-recorded on Barathrum albums, but here they are presented in their vilest form. The live recording sounds clear enough and certainly no less ritualistic, due to the unusual set up: Sova provides the percussion with a single drum beaten with bones while spewing out the vocals. Very recommended!

Withered Garden - Watcher In The Nightsky demo 1997

Withered Garden - Watcher in the Nightsky demo 1997
1) Flame
2) Call of Stormcrow
3) Praise of Evil Rising High
4) Watcher in the Nightsky

Reuploaded

I mentioned this demo on my Halls Of Mandos post and decided to go and rip it. Turns out my memory failed me slightly, as it now sounds better than I remembered (though I'm still inclined to prefer the more direct approach of Halls demo). Atmospheric dark/black metal stuff here, quite sounding like a product of it's time. Better than the MCD that followed, I think, and the rip is decent quality too.