Fullmoon - Instrumental Rehearsal 1997

Fullmoon - Instrumental Rehearsal 1997
1) Warcrimer
2) Luciferian Supreme Darkness
3) Warcrimer (another version)

Reuploaded

Some of you probably remember I uploaded a tape with instrumental rehearsal tracks from the legendary (well, at least in certain circles) and/or infamous (rest of the circles, I presume) Fullmoon, here back in last November. Well, I got another rehearsal tape from the same contributor, and actually two different dubs of it to boot. As I was having difficulty deciding which version to go with, I forgot it in my WIP folder until recently when I decided to go with this one and finally upload it. So here we go, thanks to the contributing person!

If you've heard the other similar rehearsals I've uploaded here you should know what to expect; it's not a nice and clean listening experience but certainly listenable and rewarding to the initiated. This tape is no different. The first version of "Warcrimer" is obviously faster than it's supposed to be, but that is how it was on both dubs my contributor sent me. Not the first time Fullmoon material plays at wrong speed. Note that the rest of the tracks are also different recordings than the ones I posted earlier, not sure if they've been available elsewhere. Anyways, recommended for those into old Polish non-PC black metal as well as fans of raw sounding rehearsal tapes.

Susscrofa - Dins Ech Cel D'astertia demo 1994

Susscrofa - Dins Ech Cel D'astertia demo 1994
1) Intro
2) Dins Ech Cel D'astertia
3) Senher Akerbeltz
4) Intro II
5) Pagan, Sacrum Facere
6) Ode A Pyrene
7) Isturitz, Darrie Cant De La Flauto Fadarelo

Yandex

Pagan metal today and another item which is not my rip; this one I found in the internet, don't remember where it was but the person had the whole thing as a single track so I separated it into what you see above. Correction: I think it was this. Note that the cover (quite poor Metal Archives image) does not list any separate intros, I decided to separate them as they didn't blend into the tracks directly. If you don't like that decision, too bad. Note that the band name is Susscrofa as single word, NOT Sus Scrofa as some sources say. There is another band who use that spelling.

I don't know if the person who originally ripped this (Okkultis?)had an original tape at hand or not, but the rip sounds ok. The demo sound itself isn't that great but it's sufficient and everything can be heard clearly enough. There are not glitches and errors either so good result. Music itself is pagan black metal, melodic but not overtly so and with some folk touches which are mostly subtle. One of the tracks, Ode a Pyrene is sung by the band members a cappella, others use mostly the ferocious snarl of the vocalist. A great demo, pity they did not make more music. Well, some of the members apparently went on to form Stille Volk but I'd have preferred they continued this. Recommended.

UPDATE: Looks like they've decided to carry on after a 20 year break. I was informed four new tracks were recorded last year and this was uploaded recently. Have they changed the spelling as well?

Akhkharu - Poisoned Dreams demo 1995

Akhkharu - Poisoned Dreams demo I 1995
1) Prey To God
2) Masochistic Soul Sanctuary
3) Blood
4) Cosmic Ecstasy

Reuploaded (with cover scan)

Akhkharu was a curious case, you see there are/were apparently no less than three separate entities using this monicker and to make matters worse all were from the States! And active around the same-ish period. Currently the easiest to find is the black metal one, which I'm not really interested in, and then there is the ritual/dark ambient one which I've always been interested in yet never heard, with the Dark Age Prod./Absu/Crimson Moon connections. And then there was this third one, whose (probably only) demo I've uploaded here, rip courtesy of brother Suuret Muinaiset, thanks pal! Information (well, sort info) I found indicates this would be another project by Rood, known to readers of the blog from Creepfog and Goat of the Harvest. No covers nor are any scans of any sort to be found. Would appreciate one. UPDATE: Got the full scans, now reuploaded with them and this was a two man project, Rood and someone called Ewing. Thanks for the contribution!

So what's this like? Well, like I suppose the Akhkharu mentioned second to be, this is of the ritual dark ambient school but unfortunately not very good. The recording consists of chanting, sound effects, clinking and clanking things, synth sounds, electric guitar, spoken passages and so on, sounding quite primitive and pretty random for much of the time. Sound is rehearsal tape-like. I'm quite open minded with this kind of stuff but this one doesn't really click with me. It's not utterly horrible but I don't much enjoy it either. So, I am still looking for the 90's tapes by the DAP/Ishnigarrab Akhkharu, leave a note if you got 'em! Meanwhile feel free to try this out.

Funerary Bell - Unreleased Track 2009

Funerary Bell - Unreleased Track 2009
1) Eleanor's Garden

Reuploaded

Here's a seldom seen thing; something from the 00's on this blog. I mentioned in the previous Funerary Bell post I might upload more stuff from them and this (so far) unreleased track from 2009 is just the thing. This is Invoker Of The Shadows (aka Profundiis) performing solo, so far this track hasn't been played with the full band.

The track sounds musically like something off a Varathron recording and soundwise there's no complaining, it has a good demo sound to it. The main vocal is a deeper growly scream, reminiscent of Varathron again. A worthwhile listen if you enjoy FB and/or Greek style black metal. Don't forget to check out the full-lenght album "The Coven" released by Undercover Records.

Mayhem - Rehearsal 1995

Mayhem - Rehearsal 1995
1) Cursed in Eternity
2) Carnage
3) Deathcrush
4) Chainsaw Gutsfuck
5) The Freezing Moon

Narod

To celebrate the date here's another well-known Norwegian name and a rehearsal I got from one of my trader comrades back whenever. This is a (probably) early rehearsal after the Mayhem reformation and I don't know who are the personnel involved... well Hellhammer is kind of obvious and Necrobutcher as well (judging from the tracklisting, it's annoying how the reform Mayhem ignored De Mysteriis... in favour of the old stuff and eventually new) but I'm not sure if Blasphemer is here yet, probably he is. These are instrumental tracks so no Maniac screeching this time. Ok not completely, someone screams "Deathcrush" but that hardly counts, does it?

So how is it? Well, the sound is a very good rehearsal sound and good dub too so no problems there. This is very much a rehearsal tape not a rehearsal demo as you can hear some talking in between the songs and they have some issues getting "Carnage" going. Other than that (and it just adds to the experience, doesn't it?) it's a pleasant listen. Recommended for Mayhem fans, collectors and curious ones.

Enslaved - Live in Ontario, Canada 27.07.1995

 

Enslaved - Live in London, Ontario Canada 27th July 1995

1) Intro 

2) Viking Metal

3) Loke

4) Fenris

5) Glemt

6) Vetrarnótt

7) Hordalendingen

8) Wotan

Reuploaded 

Live tapes continued, this one I ripped almost a year ago but it was forgotten in my WIP folder for quite some time before I got around to finalize it. The incomplete tracklisting was the main reason for delay but as you can see above I figured it out. Finally. I got this one from one of my tape traders and obviously it did not really have a cover, I just whipped up that thing to have something to decorate the post with.

This is an audience recording and not really of stellar sound quality. It is listenable enough for the hardboiled bootleg connoisseur, even if the sound gets muddled especially during the faster moments. It's not the worst I've heard (or posted) but sure not the best either. As you can see from the setlist this is mostly "Frost" with some new tracks thrown in and sadly only "Vetrarnótt" from "Vikingligr Veldi" though considering the track lenghts on the first album & EP (aka split with Emperor) this is understandable.

Not recommended for fans of the later, progressive Enslaved but worth checking out if you like good old viking black metal.

Aurora Borealis - Childhood Memories demo 1996

Aurora Borealis (den) - Childhood Memories demo 1996
1) Ethereal Goddess
2) Danzing Summer
3) Black Tears
4) Childhood Memories

Depositfiles

Another case from the shared band name files, though these guys changed their name to "Aurora" soon after releasing this demo. Also the first item from Denmark I post here. Melodic death metal, almost death/doomy but in general moves in the faster mid-tempo. My dub is from a trader who might have had an original copy or at least early generation dub, judging from the quality which is good. No cover so a Metal Archives image used.

So it has a good sound and production and is far from brutal and/or raw, screamy main vocal, is melodic and Scandinavian. All described so far are one man's pros and the other's cons and the very un-death metal demo title probably further divides the reader base. However, I find this very listenable and am not noted to be a big fan of the NWoSDM-sound so I suppose you can try this out even if you hate In Flames and Dark Tranquillity with passion... odds are you won't like this either, but you can still give it a try. Recommended for fans of the genre and some listeners of (melodic) death/doom might enjoy it as well.