Black Dawn - War Against Christians demo 1993

Black Dawn (fin) - War Against Christians demo II 1993
1) Introrgasm
2) Eläköön Saatana!
3) Sodanjulistus
4) Forever Rotting Nazarene
5) Whore Of The Night
6) In Manus Tuas Satanas

Reuploaded

I was surprised to not find this demo when I was looking for it on the inter nets. Happily I have an ok dub of it which I've now ripped and uploaded. Known first as Nocturnal Feast and later changed their name to The True Black Dawn after some dispute with US sue-happy wimps using the same name, this is the original band Wrath of Enochian Cresent was known for in the UG. Black Dawn was often in odds with pretty much rest of the Finnish black metal scene and made 'zine editors happy with the various feuds and quarrels they had with both domestic and foreign black metal bands and individuals. Just see the flyer I scanned and uploaded (another case of no covers - I'd like a scan so get in touch if you got 'em) down there.


Anyways all that is in the past and music remains: despite vehemently denying the black metal tag themselves, that's exactly what I choose to call them. Well, actually black/death metal to be more accurate. The intros and music remind me of old Impaled Nazarene at times and the whole sounds more Finnish than Scandinavian. It's about 50% death 50% black. Much more in the mid-speeds than the later material. Good, clear sound even if I wasn't 100% satisfied with my rip, the result should be ok - the "new" version is better (2012). Recommendable demo to all into old Finnish black/death metal, E.C. fans, demo collectors and the usual suspects.

UPDATE: I received word the Mediafire upload was corrupt (again, seems to happen often with Mf) so link removed. Use Megaupload. I'll re-upload when I feel like that.
UPDATE II: Megaupload was taken down and this rip lost when my external HD broke. Fortunately, I had made another rip of this in hopes of a better result. That one is now uploaded there.

Desire - Live in Almada, Portugal 30.04.1995

Desire - Live at Saláo das Carrochas, Almada, Portugal 30th May 1995
1) Prologue
2) The Purest Dreamer
3) A Ride In A Dream Crow
4) Forever Dreaming... (Shadow Dance)
5) (Leaving) This Land Of The Eternal Desires
6) Death Blessed By A God

Re-reuploaded

Here is another live tape and also another item from Portugal's death/doom dreamers Desire. One of their early gigs, they perform here most of the debut album "Infinity..." and the oldie "Death Blessed..." from their Incarnated-days. Most of the tracks are shorter versions than on the album, which naturally fits the live setting. Sound is clear if dominated by the vocals and drums, I wish the guitar would be more up on the mix. The vocals don't come off as well on this live as they do on album but I guess that's understandable. With its minor flaws, it's a good live recording from one of the better melancholic death/doom bands.

Grand Belial's Key - Live in Washington DC 25.06.1995

Grand Belial's Key - Live in Washington DC, USA 25th June 1995
1) In Rapture by the Fenrir Moon
2) Shemhamforash
3) Sumerian Fairytale
4) The Seventh Enochian Key
5) Sleeping Princess of the Arges
6) When Darkness Rears Itself a Throne
7) Goat of a Thousand Young

Reuploaded

Yet another old Grand Belial's Key live! And yeah, there's still more comin' up so that ought to keep John happy. This one is 1995 and with better sound than the previous one posted. Setlist is pretty much the same, adding "The Seventh Enochian Key" so almost all the material from the demos is played. It's still a raw and noisy audience recording but very listenable and practically a mandatory download for fans of early USBM and/or old GBK. If you like more recent GBK I think you should still give this a try.

Misanthropic Poetry - Inhaling the Wind of the Burning Grim Dreams

 

Misanthropic Poetry - Inhaling the Wind of the Burning Grim Dreams demo 1999
1) Intro
2) I'm Screaming In The Raven Hills To Sun Will Never Rise
3) Ancient Season Of Misrulli Frost (In My Vastland)
4) Dragons Sail The Night Sky... (Hordes Of The Highest Nocturnal Horizons And The Wizard Star Paths To Oust The Morning Light)
5) Inhaling The Wind Of The Burning Grim Dreams (...And The Mighty Hammer Roars)
6) When The Night Shades My Forest Stones
7) Through The Times To Stone Gills Of Eternity Fall
8) Their Land We'll Come

Reuploaded - 2022

Russian black metal, this being the Beverina version of the tape's re-release I had in hand (the other was released by Pussy God recs) and if you could not tell by having a look at the long, long songtitles they were heavily influenced by older Immortal, the "Battles in the North" and "Blizzard Beasts" albums especially being the reference here soundwise and perhaps musically as well, though the feeling is more primitive and savage. There's a bit of shift on the sound from middle of 4th track on (to better), not sure if it's just my tape or some glitch.

I ripped this from original Beverina version, as said on the beginning, which I got from some distro in 1999 and cover scans are included. Not much more to add, it's not really my shot of vodka but feel free to try it.

Uzjal - Uzjal demo 1995

Uzjal (pre-LSSAH) - Uzjal demo 1995
1) Intro
2) Blood with Master's Hand
3) Runiert
4) Die Niederlage der Fahnen
5) Victorious Warfare
6) I'm the Executioner

Mediafire

Ok time to share more rarer material, here we have the only demo released (or unreleased actually) by the Polish (ns) black metal project Uzjal who changed their name to LSSAH (or L.S.S.A.H. if you prefer) later in 1995. I received this tape from a Polish trader friend of mine who was in contact with the band and told me not to trade this. I didn't, as long as I did tape trading. I got it without tracklisting of any sort and originally when I ripped this I just titled the songs "Intro" and I-V but after a more careful listen and a little bit research I noticed the first couple of songs were familiar to me from the LSSAH demo "...Ruhmreich" and that this recording seemed to be the same as the 1995 demo "1939" listed in M.A. for LSSAH. All I know for certain is that this was dubbed to me as Uzjal demo 1995, I'm guessing he just re-released this demo under the new monicker and new title after the change of name.

Even as M.A. lists this as rehearsal demo I must say the sound is no worse (assuming this is the same recording as the "1939" tape) than an average demo of the era. The drum machine is obvious but kind of fits the music and atmospheres here. Some synths are included and if I should compare this to other bands of this blog, an obvious pick would be saying it's somewhere between less raw and slower Hödur and less intricate Ecclesia Satani. Like I said the sound is not at all bad, I cleaned it up a little bit but didn't adjust much, it does tend to lean to the right channel when you listen to it on headphones, but that's kind off appropriate in this case. Puns aside, I think it's ok but I guess it could be squeezed into mono and divided evenly to both sides if bothered. There is a bit of fuck up on the dub during later part of the last song, but it's not major.

The ideological side is not as obvious as on LSSAH here, but it's still present. If that does not bother you, then download it as this is very much recommended for all into underground black metal!

The Marble Icon - Queen Dowager demo 1995

The Marble Icon - Queen Dowager demo I 1995
1) Queen Dowager
2) A Tearful Sky
3) The Ending
4) The Marble Icon

Reuploaded

I promised to upload this demo already weeks if not months ago to one of the readers, sorry about the delay but I had to dig up the cassette again as I hadn't a decent scan and the old rip was lousy so I went and ripped it again. For improved result, it's cleaner and volume is better balanced... Than on the other rip that no-one but me has heard, so who am I trying to convince?

The Marble Icon was a Swedish death/doom metal band and this is their debut demo from 1995, ripped from an original by me. I got the demo from the band in late 1995 I believe, the second demo wasn't recorded yet anyways. I was going to order that one too but apparently I sort of forgot about it. Shame, I'd like to hear it. They got a cool new logo for it and I remember reading a few positive reviews from some 'zines.

The content here however is not bad either, death/doom metal with bits leaning more to death even while other parts tend towards doomier sound. This mixture works well for a debut demo and sound quality isn't bad either. Most of the time the vocals are shouty/grunty death affair but occasionally he goes for cleaner doomy singing and wailing. Speed is mostly slower midtempo and the guitars have a very definite Swedish death metal sound to them. But you are probably by now listening to this so I'm stopping here, enjoy or skip it.

Signum Diabolicum - Inkviziční Tortura demo 1999

Signum Diabolicum - Inkviziční Tortura demo II 1999
1) Intro
2) Rej Démonův
3) Intro II
4) Spřízněnec Cizincův
5) Intro III
6) Maleficium
7) Intro IV
8) Inkviziční Tortura
9) Intro V
10) Prokletí
11) Outro

Reuploaded


Here you have the second and as far as I know last release of the Czech black metallers Signum Diabolicum and I think it's vastly better than the first demo I posted a while ago. For start the sound is much better and I enjoy music and general atmosphere more. It is still quite straight forward stuff with a kind of peculiar pace to it. You might also notice they enjoy intros. They were unnamed on the track list I got from my trader, but I decided to agree with M.A. and separate them from proper songs and slapped good old Roman numerals after them so those of you who might enjoy intros more than songs would be able to tell them apart better. Right.

Again no covers, unfortunately, but the sound is good and clear, even the bass can be heard without superhuman efforts. Good rip and a good demo. Recommended for people who enjoy Czech black metal, including those who didn't like the band's first effort, collectors of obscure releases and lovers of intros.

I'd be very pleased to receive the covers for this demo, or a band picture so let me know if you have them!

Oracular Discander - As The Willow... demo 1995

Oracular Discander - As The Willow... demo 1995
1) Undigested
2) As The Willow
3) Accumulated Time
4) The Sadness Stream
5) Volatile
6) Stolid Face
7) Patterns Of Lies
8) Tributary

Reuploaded

I've returned from Black Curse Over Hellsinki II - event, which was good times, and decided to celebrate getting home in one piece by posting something completely unrelated. So here you are, Israeli doom/death with ethnic vibe, reminiscent of their coutry mates Orphaned Land's early material. Though this is slightly "harder" and darker as well. This is a tape traded thing, again, and the dub was not really great but the end result came out ok in my opinion. Basic sound is a little rough yet clear. No covers so a really tiny, crappy image from M.A. included. As usual, if you've the covers (or better scans) let me know. Recommended for death/doom fans, Middle Eastern Folk Metal fans, collectors of exotic stuff and maybe dark metal fans.

Signum Diabolicum - Poselství demo I 1997

Signum Diabolicum - Poselství demo I 1997
1) Gargan
2) Ušatý Radouš
3) Penetrace vyvolených
4) Krvavé zřeknutí
5) Kletba magistra Kelleyiho

Reuploaded

As for today's upload, this is Czech black/death metal, short and sweet release, 5 tracks for just about ten minutes. Myths and occult themes mixed with more direct and brutal approach, judging from the song titles. And from what I could decipher from the lyrics. From a tape trader who also had sent me (quite good quality) xeroxes of the covers which I finally found* and thus promptly re-packed & reuploaded the damn thing. Fixed a typo too.

The dub & my rip are both good quality and music is quite unusual sounding black metal with death metal touches, very short songs (both sides of 2 minutes), bassy and pounding, mid-tempo rhythms varying between slightly faster and a tad slower. An obscure aura lingers above and around the musick, making it better for me than it actually should be. Recommended.

*I found them 20th April 2011 if you were wondering, reuploaded 22nd.

Malign - Live in Uppsala 1996

Malign - Live in Uppsala, Sweden 1996
1) Deathcrush
2) Blod skall flöda
3) The Wanderer
4) Extirpation Of The Feeble
5) Covenant Of Black Souls

Reuploaded

Here is a quick one and ironically an item I was looking for just a little while ago. Well, I found a rip on Metalarea forum but to my dismay it seemed to be incomplete as M.A. lists the release to have 5 tracks (the demo and a Mayhem cover, as seen above). However after a little more careful listen I noticed it was complete, just mistitled as "The Wanderer" and "Extirpation..." were as one track on the rip. I then decided to separate it into two tracks, correct the track listing and repack and upload the whole damn thing here. So, credits for the (good quality) rip to Келебрин, assuming it is his, I just "fixed" it. Thanks, man!

Something probably needs to be said of the music as well: Malign is a black metal band from Sweden, this is an early period live tape and as said above a good rip with decent sound. I think this was an official release. I don't have cover scans, those would be very much appreciated. Recommended stuff for black metal cultists!

Swordmaster - Blackened Might promo 1994

Swordmaster - Blackened Might promo 1994
1) When Triumph Returns
2) The Scene of Night Vaults
3) Blackened Might

Reuploaded - 2022

Here is an obscure release by the Swedish black metal band turned thrashers Swordmaster which featured Jon's little bro Emil Nödtveidt. And this is a pretty damn good one too, even if it is instrumental. So no need to criticize the vocalist here. Great stuff, it's a pity their black metal phase didn't last longer or result in more material.

I received this from one of my tape trader contacts so no cover art. The sound quality is good 90's demo level and the rip turned out ok too so nothing stops you on that account. Don't let the word "instrumental" scare you away from this release, it's killer!

Demysh - Demo I 1998

Demysh - Demo I 1998
1) With Bleeding Veins...
2) My Diabolical Dreams
3) In the Shadow of Evil
4) Nightmoon
5) Vision: Infernal

Mediafire

Another misplaced demo found, so as here promised I hereby give you the debut demo of Demysh. And seems like my mental images and vague memories were only semi-accurate: I might have liked this better than the 2nd demo back when I got them but now I seem to have a different opinion. The vocals are not that good - I quote the covers: "Cause of the lack of permanent vocalist, Vorak had to sing through distortion" - they're certainly not the worst vocals I've heard but clearly the weakest link of the demo. They work best on track 2 and track 4 which is really long. Music is ok, nothing really unique but not bad. The tape was less than perfect, unfortunately, but it's nothing really severe. Ok demo sound on the recording, actually you can hear all the instruments quite well and it's a little more balanced than the demo II. Not going to write a novel here, try it if you will.