Nefandus #1

Nefandus 'zine, issue 1 (1995/96)
Interviews:
Mayhemic Truth
Zephyrous
Barathrum
Gospel of the Horns
Deinonychus
Aphasia
Zemial
Itnos
The Temple of Tiermes
Varathron
Bard Faust
Spear of Longinus
Dark Heresy
Vahrzaw
Sigh
Abyssic Hate
+ reviews, illustrations and such

Yandex

Let's do a 'zine today, this one was sent by brother Wehrwolf, thanks alot of obliging me! Debut issue of the Australian 'zine Nefandus, released either in the end of 1995 or beginning of 1996, all interviews date to '95. Pdf-format, 54 xeroxed pages with primitive layout, totally unprofessional and underground look. The best type of 'zine! Most interviews are quite short but entertaining and I like their choice of bands even though certain ones are a bit repetitive if you've read a 'zine of the same era. I also prefer this editor's attitude over the snobby later 90's wanna-be "journalists" plaguing every other fancy printed arty "magazine" but enough outbursting, I like this and recommend it for others of similar mindset.

There is at least one issue more, see the flyer on the right side there, and I want it. If you have it, either scan it and get in touch with me or sell me the damn thing. Don't expect to cash in though, go to jewbay for that. Use the contact on the side of the blog and if there were further issues made after the second one I'd appreciate being informed of those and even more getting scans of them too, provided it didn't turn shit.

Exitus - Reh. 23.10.-89

Exitus - Rehearsal 23rd October 1989
1) Tears of Despair / Hymn to Sorrow
2) Reprobate
3) Intro: The Metamorphosis / Black Heritage
4) Mannam (The Lord of the Dead)

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Another death/doomy contribution to the Coven, this is again from brother Suuret Muinaiset and the rehearsal tape I was referring to in the comments here. You can read more background info on Exitus on that post so I'm not going to repeat myself here. It looks like this rehearsal tape was one of the few around with a cover, SM provided images of it which are included in the download.

Looking at the tracklisting you may note that 3/4 of the tracks presented are included on the 1990 demo, these versions naturally sound rougher being both earlier and rehearsal recorded to boot. However the sound is good, most notable flaw would be the bass (I think) bleeding all over everything else occasionally. If you don't mind that too much this is another good slab of old death/doom with classic touch.

Forgotten Sunrise - Behind the Abysmal Sky demo 1993

Forgotten Sunrise - Behind the Abysmal Sky demo 1993
1) Intro: Sunrise
2) Rottening Art
3) Alive in the Grave
4) Indifference
5) Son of Sun / Knock-Outro: Solstice

Zippy / Depositfiles

Let's get back to metal with another contribution by brother Grindfreak, this is the first demo of the Estonian death/doom band Forgotten Sunrise. Nowadays they're apparently doing some sort of electronic/industrial thing, haven't heard any of that so no comment. But back in the day they made... I'm not sure to be honest, but at least two releases of atmospheric death/doom metal, this one and 1994's "Forever Sleeping Greystones" - judging from the track titles (yeah that's a scientific, fool-proof method) 1998's self-titled EP would already be in the new style or at least transitory piece. Maybe one day I will bother to do thorough research before babbling here. But not today! Includes cover scans courtesy of Grindfreak, thanks for providing those and the rip itself of course.

I say it's atmospheric death/doom but the emphasis is a bit more on death here as the tempo is rather sprightly. Dual vocal attack used sparingly for good effect, with the main voice being the cavernous death bellow and support a hoarse snarl. "Son of Sun" has also some clean vocals which are okay, main point for me is usually not how well they're performed, it's how little they annoy me - these don't. The third, shortest track is the weakest one of the bunch with some suspicious groove-ish elements. Just a bit of keyboards added for spice, very good sound with audible bass lines, occasional slight folk tones and an agreeable flow make this a pleasant if unchallenging listen. But I'm not keen on math metal or forcibly "unique" and artsy music anyways so I can easily recommend this if you like death metal with atmospheric and doomy bits. If you don't I suppose you'll wait for another post.

The Mobile Mob Freakshow - Horror Freakshow (1994)

The Mobile Mob Freakshow - Horror Freakshow CD 1994
1) Where Angels Fear to Tread
2) Interzone
3) Death Valley Caves
4) She Loves Evil Dead
5) Ghostdance
6) Cannibals
7) Telescope Eyes
8) Teenage Schizoid
9) Whores of Babylon
10) Sideshow Circus
11) Horror Freakshow
12) Psychotic Mob
13) Voodoo Maniac Zombie Girls
14) Bloodfeast A Go Go

Reuploaded

I decided to go on with the non-metal items just a bit longer so the strange days of January continue, this time with another post that counts as an exception to the Coven's general policy. This is the debut album of the Swedes The Mobile Mob Freakshow, originally released on CD by Primitive Art Records in 1994 and re-released in vinyl format by Primitive Art co-operating with Night Tripper Records in 2012. So I suggest that if you enjoy this, and have a vinyl player, buy the LP release. Especially since this is not a direct CD rip, this is ripped from a cassette dub! Which obviously leads to minor hiss and unfortunate tape wear which would not be on the proper version.

UPDATE: Was provided a CD rip, courtesy of brother Grev which includes scans as well, so all of you who have downloaded the tape rip might want to download it again! Sorry for the inconvenience and I still recommend considering the vinyl version if you have a player.

So what the hell is this then? The band (or label) refers to music on this album as a mixture of The Sisters of Mercy, GG Allin, (early) Misfits and Motörhead which is a pretty good comparison, I'm also reminded at times of Finnish Babylon Whores. Horror punk / death rock might be simplest description. Most of the fourteen tracks are short, from less than two minutes to just over three, exception being the over six minutes long, epic "Voodoo Maniac Zombie Girls" which is actually more The Devil's Blood than Misfits. Rumbly down-to-earth sound which is good enough, polished squicky clean sound wouldn't really work for this in my opinion. Cool release, recommended if you like someone among the names dropped or if you're adventurous.

Arthame - Rehearsal 1997

Arthame - Rehearsal 1997
1) Mustan syvyyden uni
2) Päällä ristin mustat linnut
3) Visio kuolemasta

RGhost / Yandex

More non-metal, this here is a bit of an oddity, you don't often see something labeled as a rehearsal tape in this genre. This is Arthame from Finland, synth project by Striga whom you may or more probably may not know from black metal band Wagchor. The project was described as "black synth with anti-christian and witchcraft background" but I'll boldly declare this as dungeon synth. This recording has three songs for a bit under 12 minutes, synth only, no production to speak off and a rather somber and desolate moods. Let Striga call this whatever he wants, it does not sound like ritualistic black ambiance, it sounds like dungeon synth. No cover, placeholder made from Arthame logo used on a 1998 flyer. And thanks once again to brother Grev for the dub!

There's some tape hiss but it's not bad and your ear should adjust to it quite easily. Otherwise the recording obviously has a good sound, well it's synth only after all. Not the most casio-sounding of the tapes I've heard but definitely closer to the lofi end of the pool rather than the bombastic orchestrals or bewildering assortments of extra instruments. Nice and simple, I like this. Recommended.

Oath - Oath (1996)

Oath (cze) - Oath cassette album 1996
1) Cursed
2) Petrified Souls
3) Stone Portal
4) Grey Nymph
5) Surrounded by Fog
6) Vicious Circle

Reuploaded

I haven't posted much non-metal lately so let's do some now, starting with a rather fresh acquaintance from the Czech Republic, yet another project suffering from a bit too simple name shared by many others, Oath. There isn't really much info to share, I bought this on a whim from a seller on Discogs a couple of months ago, it seems to be a self-released tape album, even though a label is printed on the cover. Which is, naturally, scanned and included with the download.

Almost an hour long this certainly is a long play in that sense. All the tracks are quite long, from 6½ minutes to fourteen. As you probably expected, it is dark ambient, this time mixed with industrial elements and despite epic track lenghts remains rather "active" so to say with percussion et al. No voices are used so it's instrumental except for some samples. Overall it brings mind a meshup of various CMI artists and sounds generally bleak and uh, dark. This isn't one of my wordy days I suppose. There are some dungeon synth-like moods and parts too but in general it's more raison d'être than Mortiis. It's a bit longer than necessary but a recommendable listen if you enjoy this sort of music.

Golden Dawn - Lullaby demo 1995

Golden Dawn - Lullaby demo I 1995
1) Midgard (The Forsaken Kingdom Parts I - VI)
2) Lullaby
3) Memento Mori
4) Funeral March

Temporarily unavailable, will upload the complete version soon!!!

Time for some more black metal, don't you think? Here's a demo that seems surprisingly rare, the first one by Austria's Golden Dawn, whom people probably remember for the bit odd and experimental overall ok debut "The Art of Dreaming" and the second album "Masquerade" which I recall being horrible. It's been a while I tried listening to it and no, I'm not in the mood to do so today either. Besides these Dreamlord released in 1995 a split demo with his synth project Apeiron and another demo "Way of the Sorcerer" of which brother Xexanoth uploaded an incomplete version here. I want a full version of that and the split demo. Plus other Apeiron recordings. There are also demo and rehearsal recordings done between the albums, of which "Sublimity" was supposed to be the actual second album but apparently Dark Matter Records screwed up and it ended up being given out as a demo. I don't know if this demo actually had a cover, never seen one, the one seen above is yet another placeholder whipped up by me, using the logo from demo III and a band image from "A.B.M.S. Norici Obscura Pars" compilation.

UPDATE I: Had a few words with Dreamlord and alas it is as I feared, this demo is incomplete: the first track should be several parts and about 15 minutes (if he remembers right) long so looks like most of that is missing! Get in touch if you have a complete version ASAP.

UPDATE II: I got the GD / Apeiron split demo, no less than twice actually, as well as the Apeiron demos '95 + '97 and Golden Dawn's "Way of the Sorcerer" demo + rehearsal 1996 so stay tuned for more and thanks to the contributors!

UPDATE III: I have the full version now, I just need to sort it out into separate tracks and upload. Sorry for the inconvenience. Boys are now preparing, please wait warmly until it is ready~ 

UPDATE IV: Done. Decided to repost so people who got this incomplete disaster might notice and download the full version. Here.

As you must have guessed by now, my copy is a dub from a tape trader, decent enough quality but clearly not ripped from an original. The music is melodic, lofi, a little on the crude side yet with epic elements black metal. Wonderfully cheap'n'cheesy synths add to the atmosphere. There are some "clean" vocals performed which I could really do without. They manage to sound strangely appropriate on the first track, less so later. It's somehow more entertaining a listen than it should be but check it out for yourself