Hypocrite - Welcome to Abaddon demo 1992

Hypocrite - Welcome to Abaddon demo II 1992
1) Antichrist
2) Welcome to Abaddon
3) The Scream...

Depositfiles / Zippy

This is the contribution I meant to post before Anal Jesus foiled my plans. I thought I'd post some proper death metal from 1992 after this and so here is Hypocrite från Sverige with their second demo, again courtesy of Henri. Thanks for the rip and scans! This is very typical Swedish death metal of the time and recorded in the Sunlight studio to boot. Some of the band members played in Mörk Gryning later and apparently the band went for more melodic death metal approach, like so many of their peers, but can't comment on that as I haven't (I think) heard either of their albums.

I already said this sounds very typical Swedish death metal of its time, with Sunlight sound, so I assume the more genre-savvy readers can already imagine what this sounds like. It's already a leaning a little to the more melodic end of the pool, but not overtly so. A negative person would probably bash them for being unoriginal, typical Swedish and trendy but I'm not feeling like that today, I kinda like this. Might have a lot to do with me not having oversaturated myself with the stuff in the 90's, recommended if you enjoy the genre and haven't gotten thoroughly jaded already.

Anal Jesus - Santa Goat rehearsal/demo '93

Anal Jesus - Santa Goat rehearsal/demo III 1993
1) Elämäni savotta
2) A.N.U.S.
3) Musta risti
4) Perkele
5) Ave
6) Santa Goat

Yandex / 4shared

I was going to post something else, another contribution but as I happened across this unfinished rip forgotten (for four years, oops!) in a wrong folder I felt I have to finish it and post right now, especially since I remember people have been looking for the damn thing. This is (yet) another project by Morningstar leader Ari "Sinister Satyr" Honkonen, the infamous Anal Jesus which supposedly changed name to Warmaul but as far as I know didn't release anything under that monicker. This is the third and last in the series of short rehearsal tapes they recorded, I don't know if there was a cover made or not, at least I haven't seen any. Master Honkonen wasn't too co-operative either when I asked about this project back in the day ('95) while getting some Morningstar stuff, could he have been embarassed? Well, if someone happens to have a cover or more info on the matter I'd appreciate it.

I certainly didn't score this one, nor anything else Anal Jesus recorded, from Arska and now I'm not actually sure where I got this dub, it was either from a tape trader or from one of my old mates. Whatever the source was, it's a little worn but certainly bearable quality recording with a bit of hissing present, no notable glitches. The rehearsal itself has a surprisingly good sound, it's noisy for sure but in a good way. Sounds somewhere between Terveet Kädet, Beherit's "Messe des Morts" and old Impaled Nazarene or something like that. At total running time of seven minutes these six tracks are all short and savage bursts, but on the average perhaps not as fast as you might expect. I recall I was not really too impressed with this stuff, though it was amusing enough, but listening to it now after years have passed I actually seem to enjoy it quite a bit. I might need to grab the second demo from Grev and dig up the first one, should have that dubbed somewhere. Have a listen for yourself, it's not going to take too much of your time after all.

UPDATE: Found and ripped the first demo, listen to that first if you still haven't head this one!!! Both are recommended.

Deceiver - Eternal Massacre demo 1992

Deceiver - Eternal Massacre demo 1992
1) Awake / Sleep
2) Funeral March
3) Domestic Violence... Why?
4) Last Chapter

Mediafire / RGhost

Another sending by master Sorvali again (thanks as always!) and now moving to different waters, here's some Finnish "death metal" by Deceiver from Turku. This would seem to be their first demo, having started with an EP and probably some rehearsal tapes or something. Why "death metal" you ask? Simple, this is a thrash/power metal band turned death which means they went for growling vocals, tuned down and slowed a bit. The lyrics would seem to be typical thrash (/grind) fare too so this isn't real and proper metal of death, more like textbook life metal.

Now that we've got that out of the way and probably most readers have left for darker, murkier tombs let's have a few more words about the music. Or not really, it's pretty much what you can imagine from my less than enthusiastic introduction. The sound is decent and heavy enough but this just isn't my canister of gas. Well, at least the cover features pretty interesting drawings of Soviet purges. Get it if you really must hear every old Finnish extreme metal demo.

Korova - Live in Rockhouse Salzburg (13-01-95)

Korova - Live in Rockhouse, Salzburg Austria 13th January 1995
1) Awakening from Perpetual Contemplation (Yellow Mahogany Tomb I)
2) A Kiss in the Charnel Fields
3) Entlebt in tristem Morgenblut
4) Latin Dreams in Turpentine
5) Nordsciltim - In the Filth Where All Cull Perambulates Pain
6) Sálømeh, des Teufels Braut

Rusfolder / Mega

Break over, back to business and this is a live tape contribution (which I would like to see more) which I actually intended to post already before departing for Black Flames V last week but didn't have time to. Anyways, thanks to the contributor for the rip! This has obviously no real cover, I just felt like making one so there.

I should probably say something about the performer too, this is Korova from Austria which a few people might actually remember while others might know them by the later name Korovakill. This live recording predates the debut album's release on Napalm records (who used to be a pretty interesting label in the early to mid 90's) in May '95 but as it was already recorded in late '94 these are final versions of the songs, well, adjusted to the live situation of course. Korova at this phase played avant-gardish black metal that had some odd elements but wasn't quite massively annoying. Though I'm not really fond of the nu-metallish, bouncy bits that occasionally pop up. I think I took a listen to the second album and immediately fled the record store so excuse my ignorance for their latter development. This live tape features a good sound, you can hear all the instruments without them cluttering the soundscape up and no element seems overtly dominant. Possibly a soundboard recording? Yes, the music is all over the place but still manages to stay together well enough to remain listenable and even enjoyable to yours truly. Recommended for the curious, the Austria-oriented and the handful of people who liked "A Kiss in the Charnel Fields".

Ancient - Eerily Howling Winds demo 1993

Ancient - Eerily Howling Winds demo I 1993
1) Eerily Howling Winds
2) Call of the Absu Deep
3) Det glemte riket

Reuploaded

An old classic today, I wanted to post some various contributions today and as comrade unholydeath had obtained a copy of this tape and ripped plus scanned the content and sent it to the Coven already weeks ago I thought it'd be about time I post it. I know there are several rips of this around and it has been (partially I think?) re-released on that compilation CD, but as this has full scans and it is a good rip of a good demo I'm featuring it here.

Pretty much everyone has heard at least some version of Ancient and I've featured their old stuff here before so introductions should not be really necessary. All of these tracks were recorded again for the debut album, so they're familiar stuff. Of course this being a demo the sound is raw and less refined and performance more enthusiastic than professional. I like old Ancient, up to and including "Trolltaar" and this demo is not exception. You should like this too. Unless you dislike melodic black metal with fuzzy demo sound, or Norwegian bands. Or have an issue with what Ancient became but that's not a valid reason to scorn this.

Minotauri - Metal Magic rehearsal 1998

Minotauri - Metal Magic rehearsal tape 1998
1) Crazy Man
2) Steel Is Stronger Than Love
3) Poltergeist
4) Living Alone

Mega / RGhost

Another part two today, here's the second old Minotauri recording brother Grev dubbed me, thanks! This one doesn't seem to have covers and I wasn't in the mood to make a placeholder so we just have to do without a purty decorative pic here. See "Axe Attack" post for more background banter.

Decent enough dub, minor wear present and it unfortunately gets more frequent as the recording proceeds. The rehearsal sound itself isn't half bad. It's a little messier perhaps than "Axe Attack" was but has more power to it too so I think the pendulum swings to Magic's advantage over Axe. Two songs from the reh/demo return and two new ones appear, shifting the style slightly to doomier realms. Annoyingly most of the glitching also appears during these "new" tracks. "Living Alone" (now with a g!) still remains a hit song. I can't come up with anything else right now so have at thee!

Vale of Pnath - Hymn of the Plants demo 1998

Vale of Pnath - Hymn of the Plants demo 1998
1) A Meadow
2) The Flowers
3) Heart of the Deep Forest
4) The Trees Attack
5) A Silent World... Totally Green

Rusfolder / Mediafire

Let's chill again for Sunday evening and this time with another, very interesting, contribution by master Sorvali. Thanks for the rip and scans to him and this is a synth project by the Cult of the Lizard God member Lucy Poems. Not to be mixed with the much more recent technical death metal band, also US, using the same Lovecraftian name.

Music is synth stuff here, as I already said and though looking at the titles would at first suggest this might be more at home at Ritualistic Nature, this has a certain threatening, otherwordly feel to it, rather than serenity of nature and such. Or I might just be letting the Lovecraftian project name and slightly spooky cover art get into my head. Almost purely instrumental (odd vocal effects are added from third track on) and mostly just keyboards (distorted strings take an active role in the fourth track) this is an enjoyable piece that starts rather minimalistic and adds elements, wandering in the realms of dungeon synth, darkwave and nature ambient and whatever. Recommended for my ambient-oriented readers, I'm afraid I must make a run to the convenience store right about now.