Thus Defiled - Enchanted by the Dark One demo 1993

Thus Defiled - Enchanted by the Dark One demo II 1993
1) Enchanted by the Dark One
2) Eternal Demonomancy
3) Primordial Darkness (Returning...)

Depositfiles

Today's upload completes another cycle and is again a reader contribution, sent along with a bunch of other items by comrade Ruptured Souls, this is the second demo by UK black/death group Thus Defiled. You may find the first demo here and a bit later rehearsal tape here. I don't know who made this rip originally, it might be quite old, however the quality is decent enough so thanks to whoever it was. No cover scans were included so I've again sto - borrowed images from Discogs, these are included in the folder.

This tape looks quite professional if one would judge a book by its cover and printed cassette and I do seem to recall this being called a cassette EP somewhere. Of course I don't have a reference at hand so I'm not going to champion that argument and just call it a demo like everyone else does. The sound is quite comparable to the debut demo, a little more clear and less echo-y. Unfortunately it also sounds less dark as a result, more death than black or black/death metal this time. There's just about the same amount of metal as on the first effort (a bit over ten minutes spread over three tracks) but less evenly divided as the title track hogs over half of the duration and side A of the tape, supporting the EP feeling I get from this. Despite the title track's extra length, all three follow the same basic patterns of slower, heavy and doomy parts alternating with fast, grinding aggressive sections. Vocals are guttural and brutal growls. I feel like I don't have really much more to say about this now, check it out if you like death metal and/or black/death metal, enjoy the other Thus Defiled stuff or happen to collect UK demos.

SS 2666 - Promo 1997

SS 2666 - Promo 1997
1) Bloody Charriots
2) Holocaust Thunder

Yandex / RGhost

Let's do a quickie today and also something different. And obscure, you see, this short two track promo tape was sent to me by one of my tape traders in the 90's and the only info he had was that it was promo 1997 and featured personnel from Prophecy (pol), Hermh and possibly some other band which I now forget... though the Discogs entry to a compilation CD "Brum numer 50" featuring the first track here credits only two people, Bartłomiej "Bart" Krysiuk for lyrics and Szymon Czech for music while Christ Agony website's bio mentions Marek Kutnik also as a member. And that's pretty much all I've got... until I asked Bart who supplied me with tracklisting and told me they had been preparing for a full length album which was never finished and this tape didn't have any covers or such. Apparently they've also recorded something in 2005 also and Witching Hour might release the SS 2666 material as a 7"EP.

Until that happens we're stuck with my rip here which is ok quality, unfortunately the tape seems a little worn in places and you can hear the results occasionally. The first track can be found in better quality as it was released on the compilation CD I mentioned and the possibly upcoming Witching Hour release will be remastered, Szymon had done that before his death. I guess a few words about what this sounds like might be necessary? It's a mixture of industrial/electronic metal with electronic and industrial beats, metal guitars, mostly harsh vocals, samples and so on. The sound would be good if not for the lacking dub quality. As a quick reference I'd say it's more ...And Oceans than Diabolicum. If these genres and their combinations interest you, it might be a good idea to check this out. Or if you're into the related bands. Not probably for everyone reading this blog.

Abygor - The Faces of Pentagram demo 1991

Abygor - The Faces of Pentagram demo 1991/1992
1) Son of Dawn
2) The Faces of Pentagram
3) Snaking the Sky
4) Lilith

RGhost / Yandex

More black metal follows and this is South American material for change, Abygor from Brazil with their only demo under this monicker. Ripped from a dub I was sent by brother A.S., thank you for the tape and cover! Which means a cover scan is also included. Quite good rip quality if I say so myself and sound isn't bad at all either. Note that the covers do not give any info about when this was recorded, I was told it was 1991 but M.A., which as we know is sadly far from reliable, gives May 1992. Anyone able to verify?

A few words about the music: it's fucking awesome! This was really quite a surprise and I really like coming across (or guided to, like in this case) obscure old and great demos like this! It's not of the thrashing or bestial warlike school you might expect from a South American horde, rather this is atmospheric and mysterious, with an old school aura similar to demos of Black Crucifixion, Darkstyle, Fiendish Nymph, Lemegethon or even select Beherit material. Guitars move mostly on a quite brisk midpace, riffs are quite simple but evocative and vocals whispering, remaining in the shadows but still audible enough. I really enjoy this and would love to hear the stuff of the previous incarnations Bestial and Lamentation so let me know if you got those recordings! Recommeded.

Myrddraal - Promo 2001

Myrddraal - Promo 2001
1) Moonhunter
2) Strings of Inquietude
3) Muspellheim

Yandex / Mediafire

Black metal from Australia today, a 2001 promo by Myrddraal contributed to me a little while ago. This recording was made after the debut album "Blood on the Mountain" and in very limited amount, ten copies or so, given to labels and to demostrate their capabilities to Denny Blake (StarGazer) in order to enlist him to play drums for the next album. Quite rare thing for a while, though not anymore as it's also included on the "Surrounded by Unlight" compilation released by Abysmal Sounds this year. See below for a flyer. I don't usually post items that have been re-released but this may be counted as an exception, or promotion or whatever you wish to call it.

To the content. If you are familiar with the band's first album you'll remember it lay somewhere between the ferocity their landmates were often known for and melodic, even epic passages. These three songs continue where they left off on the album, they're quite long, totalling almost 24 minutes and start off with an intro that reminds me of the outro on the album, samples and noises giving way to acoustics. The sound is murkier and darker, partially probably due the drums (machine I believe as they were recruiting a drummer) being pushed into the background and bass taking more room. "Moonhunter" features several acoustic breaks as well as an almost operatic slightly bizarre part which still barely manages to work. Plenty of going on for its eleven minute duration. Second track is shorter and more intense, especially with the dual voices utilized and nice, cracklingly crispy guitars. The vocal parts remind me a bit of Diamatregon which is a good thing in my book. Third track "Muspellheim" starts catchy and is again a long one at almost nine minutes. It maintains a sense of urgency intermingled with certain melodicism reminding me of old Gorgoroth/"Transilvanian Hunger"-Darkthrone before bursting into a clean vocals section that's almost (later day) Therion and then resuming like nothing happened. Pretty cool stunt! I think I really need to take a listen to the compilation after this promo and then the second album which I honestly have completely forgotten how it sounds like. You can start with this and follow my lead if you wish.

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.

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.

Near Dark #4 / Goetia #3

Near Dark, issue 4 / Goetia, issue 3 split-magazine (1996)
Interviews - Near Dark:
Bathory
Opeth
The Darksend
Mefisto
Headbangers Against Disco
A Mind Confused
Lake of Tears
Ungod
+ reviews and "Bizarre" page of film reviews
Interviews - Goetia:
Pentacle
Bifrost
Revelation
Therion
Temperance
The Marble Icon
The Moaning
Evoken
Misanthropy Records
Tomas Nyqvist (Putrefaction 'zine / No Fashion recs)
+ reviews

Reuploaded

It is time to do some contributions again and also about time to post a 'zine. This one was sent to me by comrade Kurgan, thank you for your offer to the Coven and is quite a rare sight, a split 'zine! Featured are the fourth effort of Near Dark, also the only one I've seen and probably will and the third Goetia, you might remember that one from this post. The split totals 52 pages, if you count the covers, and features some waste of space on the ND side with full-page flyers and distrolist, Goetia side is similar to previous issue so efficient use of space and more content for the allocated page count. Overall, like with split albums both sides end up a bit short of a "full" fanzine.

Like already said, this is my first touch with Near Dark 'zine and I'm not very much into their side here. With the exception of German Ungod their pick of interviewees is all Swedish, which in itself is not necessarily very bad and I haven't actually seen these names that often in the 'zines I've been reading. Well, except for Bathory, whom I could never see enough even though the inties from the same era tend to be a little repetitive and Opeth whom I have seen often enough both in print and stage. Ironically the only foreigner featured here falls also into read 'em a hundred times category but at least the Ungod inties tend to be decent reads. The overall style of the ND editors is humorous, which doesn't really work for me in most 'zines, and embracing the hard-drinkin' hard-rockin' metalhead type which also is annoying, being sort of a semi-trend in Sverige back then. Makes us serious devil-worshipping monks frown in our dimly lit reading chambers. It isn't a black metal 'zine so I have to cut them slack I guess.

Goetia side pleases me more, especially since Niclas uses the same, cozy, familiar and safe lay-out. Better organized this time, I must mention, no more interviews continued at random parts of the 'zine. My only gripe is his growingly hostile approach to black metal and complete lack of such interviewees. Oh well, at least his picks, mostly in death, doom and death/doom genres are rather interesting. Misanthropy Records are also featured, probably the most often interviewed label in 'zines due having boobs and Burzum in my blunt opinion (the others most interviewed in my totally unscientific top 3 are Osmose and Avantgarde, because the latter being usually also MonumentuM interviews at the same time) and Tomas Nyqvist, infamous for his No Fashion Records and not nearly as often remembered as editor of Putrefaction 'zine, for which he is officially interviewed here for. I've never read an issue of that one either, would be curious to see a scan though so feel free to send me a link. Enought text from me, read what these people wrote instead.