Burial – Relinquished Souls [1993]

Burial is an obscure Dutch death metal band that formed in ’91 and proceeded to release one demo and one album then, due to issues with their drummer, disbanded in 1993. Apparently the band was resurrected a few years ago.

Burial were very obviously influenced by the early works of two specific American death metal bands: Massacre and Death. There is no denying that this whole album reeks of fanatic worship of these two legendary Floridian acts. So, given that most of you will be familiar with these two bands, you should already have a good idea what to expect; technical yet powerful and catchy headbanging riffs, precise drumming, fast, thrashing tempos, complex song structures and aggressive vocals that could give Kam Lee a run for his money.

After hearing the killer opening track “The Second Coming”, the listener instantly knows what they’re in for and it’s one hell of a bloody ride! Along with the previously mentioned Massacre and Death influence, you’ll also find fleshripping thrashing moments that bring to mind old-school “brutal” thrash bands such as Demolition Hammer and Morbid Saint, which should definitely keep the average old-schooler entertained!

The real highlight of “Relinquished Souls” lies in the guitar playing. The riffs are complex but still catchy and nearly every song has multiple solos. The bass, drums and vocals are all great but the two guitarists really on a whole other level. It really is a shame that this band only released one demo and album before fading into obscurity, as I would love to know how they would have progressed over time.

Highlights:

"Traumatized"

"Abhorence Within"

"Frigid Cold"

Final Rating: Awesome [8.5/10]

If you’re a fan of old-school early 90’s death metal, I would highly recommend picking up the reissue of this album through Memento Mori Records.

Absu - Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. [1993]

Absu, a band who are now well-known for releasing consistent onslaughts of storming black thrash with a mythological and occult feel to them, were once an old-school death metal band, as evidenced on their early demo material. On their debut full length, “Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.”, Proscriptor and co. bridged the gap between these two distinct and totally different styles…

It all begins with the very occult-sounding intro “An Involution of Thorns” setting the mood and then the first actual song “Descent to Acheron (Evolving into the Progression of Woe)” kicks things instantly into high gear with a death metally thrashing onslaught which eventually evolves into slower sections and a bit of occult weirdness thrown in for good measure then picks up again later in the song.

The whole album is actually rather varied, making this one of Absu’s most interesting releases. The influences range from Floridian death metal, old-school thrash (Texan legends Morbid Scream, in particular), early Darkthrone (Proscriptors drumming reeks of “Soulside Journey” era Fenriz worship) and a bit of early Incantation in the slower sections.

With “Barathrum”, Absu managed to put out a very unique album that has done something not many bands can pull off, which is to create a very dark and occult atmosphere whilst still retaining a certain degree of thrash metal in their sound. They slow things down a bit, use occasional ambient keyboards and showcase a meaty-as-fuck buzzsaw guitar sound but still hold on to the old-school metal spirit while drenching the music in occult darkness.

Running at only 30 minutes and 50 seconds, this is Absu’s shortest album. It is also my personal favourite among their killer catalogue.

Highlights:

Descent to Acheron (Evolving into the Progression of Woe)

An Equinox of Fathomless Disheartenment

The Thrice is Greatest to Ninnigal

Fantasizing to the Third of the Pagan Vision (Quoth the Sky, Nevermore Act II)

Final Rating: 9.0/10 Masterpiece

Abhorer - Upheaval of Blasphemy [1993] (EP)

A few years after releasing their demo “Rumpus of the Undead,” Abhorer would put out another release, the two-song EP “Upheaval of Blasphemy.” This new collection of material definitely showed the band’s improvement, as the two songs here are more memorable than the previous unholy tunes and they shaped the sound that the band would perfect on their full-length a few years later.  

Unlike “Rumpus of the Undead,” the production on this release is a lot better. Every riff, growl and percussion assault can be heard and distinguished perfectly on these two tracks, as the music is mixed terrifically. Abhorer also provided more variety on this EP (ironic given that there’s less material) as the riffs aren’t just non-stop tremolos. “Abandonment of Chastity” is a solid mix of the tremolo bursts and kickass midpaced riffs that are sure to thrash the listener’s neck. “Heathendom Incarnate” is a fantastic track that alternates between the two different styles of riffs, while weaving in some heavy vocals and violent drumming, creating a highly memorable song and one of the best tracks in the band’s arsenal. Overall, if you’re a fan of the previous demo, then welcoming “Upheaval of Blasphemy” into your collection should be no problem, because this is black thrashing death that is simply awesome. 

Highlights

“Abandonment of Chastity”

“Heathendom Incarnate”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Dissection - The Somberlain [1993]

Around the time of the release of “The Somberlain,” Sweden was experiencing a massive output of death metal. There were the giants of the genre and there were even more bands releasing demos left and right. Dissection, though, would embrace the darker sounds of black metal and help spawn a whole new wave of terrific bands from the country in Sacramentum, Arckanum, Lord Belial, Vinterland, etc. When metalheads usually discuss which of Dissection’s first two albums are better, it’s usually a pretty split crowd between this one and “Storm of the Light’s Bane,” but both records are worthy of praise for not only their influence, but for how damn good they are. 

“The Somberlain” has a dark feel to the music (as do most black metal albums), but the atmosphere on this album is quite different from others. It’s cold, chilling, haunting and absolutely brilliant. A song with the title “Black Horizons” should sound evil, and it does throughout its eight minutes of life. Eight minutes of tempo changes, dark and beautiful melodies, sinister tremolos, acoustic guitars and Nodtveidt’s vicious vocals make for an insanely good song, and album for that matter, as a lot of the songs here contain a lot of the same kind of elements. Every song (not counting the instrumentals) has a fair amount of melody, whether it’s through the tremolo patterns or a soothing melodic solo that pierces through the blistering riffs, Dissection always has just the right amount of melody. 

In addition to the cold aura and the melodic tendencies of the band, every other member of the band does their part to perfection. Nodtveidt’s vocals are harsh growls that compliment the bleak backdrop very well. His vocals are also pretty understandable and not just guttural shrieks. The rhythm section on this album is also top-notch, as I was able to find a standout moment on the drumming on every song. I was also able to hear the bass quite fine, as it thumped along or even provided some great fills in the background of the tremolo frenzies. “The Somberlain” proves to be a game-changer for not only the band (who would go on to top this effort with their masterpiece “Storm of the Light’s Bane”), but for the Swedish black metal movement as well. When it comes to getting lost in a flurry of melody and darkness, there just aren’t too many bands out there that can do it better than Dissection and this full-length is usually one the first records I reach for when that time arises. 

Highlights

“Black Horizons”

“The Somberlain”

“Heaven’s Damnation”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Deteriorot - Manifested Apparitions Of Unholy Spirits [1993] (Ep)

Judging from the album art, album title and logo font, I'm sure any dedicated old school death metal fan would know what to expect from this, although some still may be blown away be the sheer force and compelling heft of the music on Deteriorot's debut Ep, ''Manifested Apparitions Of Unholy Spirits''. Deteriorot are fairly obscure even though they released a monolith of an old school death/doom album in 2001, and a second in 2010, and I still find it hard not to mention these guys when the topic is top-notch old school death metal bands, and it's even more surprising how many underground fans scarcely talk of them. This is blasphemous, dense, incredibly ghastly and even grooving death metal, right from the pits and crypts of abominations.

The main influence is the deep, cavernous Incantation influence, hidden under pretty much every riff and every aspect of the music. Another great element that Deteriorot possess is that they tend to fuse the thick Incantation-esque riffs with a bludgeoning thrash influence, and even some Finnish mystery and gloom is safely installed into the crushing, grooving death/doom riffs, providing with a good amount of variation throughout the eleven minute Ep. Delicious riffs are aplenty if that's what you seek, but like the abyss sprinkled aura of the cover art, the music is a burden of atmosphere, mainly coming from the comprehensible, yet somewhat muffled spray of the production. Alongside the atmosphere and aura, the satisfying feel of the riffs also stand out as crucial elements, because the riffs are full and tasty, nutritious enough to cease your ravenous rage for a good while.

There are two tracks, and nothing more, so I'd say this Ep acts a sort of warm up to ready listeners against the real beast, ''In Ancient Beliefs''. The title track is a looming, brooding, gloomy piece of oppressive death/doom monstrosity, with well executed passages and Autopsy-esque, blood chilling guitar thrills, while ''The Afterlife'' has copious amounts of grooving Incantation riffs ready at its command, engaging and depriving with each blow. Unfortunately, their debut crosses the whole ''old-school'' line which is marked at 2000, but if you liked this, you have no excuse for not checking out the full-length. This is blood and blasphemy soaked evil, heavy as fuck death metal, so do your ears some good and listen to it right now.

Highlights
''Manifested Apparitions Of Unholy Spirits''
''The Afterlife''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.6/10]

Utumno - Across the Horizon [1993]

Utumno are quite the oddball death metal band to say the very least. Hailing from the land of death metal, Sweden, you would expect for them to at least sound somewhat similar to the majority of the punk-driven bands there, but they don't. Not one damn bit. This band is more likely to be compared to groups like Ripping Corpse, Sepultura, Revenant and Morbid Angel than they are Grave or Entombed. It's a shame that these guys never got anywhere past this six-track debut record, "Across the Horizon," because the amount of promise and talent that is found here is remarkable and likely could have pushed them to relative success in Sweden's death metal scene. 

With only six songs, Utumno does a fantastic job of mixing in so many different sounds that the shortness of the album becomes completely irrelevant. The opening track "The Light of Day" features some decent thrashy riffs that eventually turn into sludgy powerchords that are later accompanied by a grim narration and sinister melody, before turning into a riff-fest that encompasses early-Sepultura-like thrash riffs, insane bass lines and midpaced riffs that are damn-near as catchy as those produced by bands like Terrorizer and Bolt Thrower. "I Cross the Horizons" is one of the more "weird" tracks thanks to its eclectic mix of techy riffs and melodies, very similar to death/thrash legends like Ripping Corpse and Revenant. And "In Misery I Dwell" and "Saviour Reborn" are both death metal tunes of the highest caliber, as Stalhammar's vocals slay (His vocals sound a lot like a less gruff Max Cavalera), and the violent riffage crushes. 

Had the last two tracks "Sunrise" and "Emotions Run Cold" been as stellar as the four preceding tracks, then "Across the Horizon" would have undoubtedly been a pinnacle in the Swedish death metal scene. With so many bands trying to catch up to the giants in Dismember, Entombed, Unleashed, etc, Utumno was perfecting their craft of thrashy, yet atmospheric death metal that spanned the metal spectrum without sounding like a clusterfuck of influences. Had the band moved on to create a sophomore album, their ascension in the metal world would have been inevitable, and what a wonderful world that would be. 

Highlights

"The Light of Day"

"I Cross the Horizon"

"In Misery I Dwell"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.7/10]

Beherit – Drawing Down the Moon [1993]

Finnish black metal legends Beherit formed in 1989 and have since released a ton of demos and EPs, a couple of compilations, two dark ambient albums and three black metal albums. “Drawing down the Moon” was their first full length released, but their “official” debut album was “At the Devil’s Studio 1990”, which finally saw the light of day in June 2011. A confusing discography, I know, but bear with me as I discuss their most well known album “Drawing down the Moon”.

Recorded in between April and September 1992 but released in November 1993 and produced by the bands’ guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist; Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, “Drawing down the Moon” is a bit of a departure from their earlier, more straightforward and bestial, work featured on “The Oath of Black Blood” and “At the Devil’s Studio 1990” in that it’s mostly mid-to-slow-paced as opposed to the more fast-paced songs displayed on previous releases and features ambient interludes previously not present. 

The music itself is pretty unique compared to most other black metal released around the same time, and very different to anything that was going on in Norway and Sweden at the time. The guitars often take a step back and mix in with the vocals and drums to produce a “wall of sound” type effect, and there are also moments where slow and mournful melodies are used to pull the listener into a different state of mind before changing it up and assaulting you with more violent bestiality. Special mention has to be made for the vocals, which are generally low the mid-range growls mixed in with some weird clean sections and ritualistic chanting as well as the occasional spoken word piece. The influence of bands such as Sarcófago, Blasphemy and Sadistik Exekution are still ever-present in the music and always an underlying factor in the slower parts and ambient passages, which just goes to show that Beherit were generally more forward-thinking and experimental than their peers at the time, having crafting something that still employs a barbaric and primitive approach while creating a very eerie, dark and sinister atmosphere channeling different techniques such as keyboards and ambiance effectively.

This album is truly something special to behold, and is best viewed as a singular epic piece of music rather than a collection of individual songs. An essential black metal classic if there ever was one!

Highlights:

Salomon's Gate

The Gate of Nanna

Werewolf, Semen and Blood

Final Rating:

10.0/10 Legendary

Creepmime - Shadows [1993]

Progressive death metal (or progressive anything for that matter) is a genre of music that I actually go out of my way to avoid. It's just boring to my ears, and I'd rather be pummeled by Bolt Thrower-like grooves, submerged by the doomy excellence of Autopsy or mesmerized by the phenomenal music of a Dismember or a Convulse. But, there are always exceptions to any rule, and the Netherlands' own Creepmime is the exception to my own personal preference. There aren't any keyboard solos or piano interludes on "Shadows," nor are there any intricate structures that seem to go nowhere or terrible clean vocals thrown in, just incredibly solid death metal that compliments the Netherlands scene nicely. 

While Asphyx are the kings of death/doom over in the Netherlands, Creepmime manages to conjure up some great melodies and riffs that have a very doomy edge to them. In fact, this whole record is based around midpaced riffs that are highly driven by melodies. "Soon Ripe, Soon Rotten" and "My Soul Flayed Bare" both have intros that feature fantastic melodies that are both memorable and atmospheric, while "The Fruits of Ill Virtue" and "Chinese Whispers" command the listener's attention with stellar midpaced riffs that are interwoven with top-notch melodic passages throughout. As with any band that tries to create a sort of aura, Creepmime does a brilliant job of bringing forth a dark and gloomy feeling that is most present on "Gather the Shattered," but there is also a subtle upbeat and almost happy vibe that can be heard throughout, and that's mainly because of the insane amount of melody present (And I don't mean that melo-death, Gothenburg kind of melody, that's terrible). 

As you would expect from a progressive band, the bassist and drummer both get in some decent to great fills, but they never really command the music, as it should be. The soloing on this album is also fantastic, again as expected. The vocals are typical death metal fare, and they sound damn-near identical to Dave Ingram during his performance on "The Grand Leveller." Overall, "Shadows" isn't the most premier death metal album around, but it definitely stands out and is worth giving a listen if you're a fan of bands like Autopsy, diSEMBOWELMENT, Winter, Amorphis and the like. 

Highlights

"The Fruits of Ill Virtue"

"Suffer the Shadows"

"My Soul Flayed Bare"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Rippikoulu-Musta Sermonia (Demo) [1993]

Rippikoulu was such an obscure group that they couldn't even be considered as one of the second/third tier Finnish DM bands like Funebre or Purtenance. For those who have witnessed the repugnancy of the demo, "Musta Sermonia," Rippikoulu remains as a true hidden underground gem, burried deep within years of mainstream culture and modern varieties of Finnish metal. The Fins always had love for the doomy, brooding melodies that they used in their death metal and frankly death/doom is what these guys excel in. If you like the filthy death metal sound of Finland, and if you are used to hearing it, then you'll know damn well what this demo sounds like.

The extremely thick and fuzzy tone applied on the guitars is oppressing enough and when the sluggish, deppresive melodies and atmosphere are added to the already dense combination, the heft of the album becomes unbearably heavy. The riffs are mostly lo-paced death/doom monsters, twisted grotesqueries that stumble and crush everything in their path with incredible heft. Paces vary at times, and become quite entertaining when they all of a sudden turn into vicious blast beats and ultimately enjoyable, headbang-friendly tremolo assaults, though sequences like these are terribly outnumbered by the doomy dirges that enshadow the whole demo. Fortunately, anyone who has already came for sluggish death/doom from this record will just take the lack of tempo variation with a grain of salt. The only thing that stops the demo from reaching absolute perfection, is the lack of originality. If I were listening to a vigorously catchy record with dynamic riffage, I wouldn't mind this flaw at all, but when we're talking about heavy, dark and depressive death/doom, the situation gets abrasive simply because no matter how many times you search the demo you can't find a collosal deviation from the same pervasive sounds, widespread around the demo.

When it comes to flaws, that's the only flaw I can think of. Other than that ''Musta Sermonia'' is absolutely disgusting death metal, unpolished and blunt as a rock. It contains extra striking features such as doomy, brooding melodies, monstrous vocals and an engulfing atmosphere that helps the demo out a lot for the most part, always keeping the listener at the edge of his/her seat no matter how depressing the riffs are. The Finnish death metal masters always have a haunted, repugnant feel to them, but only few can execute it in the way Rippikoulu did, and fewer can be as depressingly ominous.

Highlights
''Kadonneet Jumalat''
''Anteeksiannon Synkkä Varjo''

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9.0/10]

Disinter - Exitus Letalis (Demo) [1993]

Believe it or not, bands are allowed to sound different than the other ones of their scene. There was Autopsy who slowed down and raped many people's earholes with their doom-laden death metal when the majority of American bands were blasting away, there was Deathrow from Germany who took a more technical approach to thrash as opposed to the extreme aggression (no pun intended) of bands like Kreator and Sodom, and then there were bands like Disinter, who created some extreme death metal in the vein of bands like Malevolent Creation and early Cannibal Corpse rather than the doomier and darker filth that most Finndeath bands played. While the music here isn't as great as the aforementioned bands and there were hundreds of other bands who played in a similar style, that doesn't take away from the glimpses of greatness found on the "Exitus Letalis" demo. 

The slithering and monstrous sound that many people may expect to hear once the demo starts is nonexistent, instead it's replaced with a fast death metal tremolo riff and only followed by more brutality, though I cringe as I use that term because of the hundreds of horrible bands out that are considered "brutal death metal," no worries though, because Disinter is brutal in the way that there is no escape from the neckbreaking riffs that can be found, like on the song "Exhumation" which is a nonstop assault on the brain and neck. Ripping tremolos and midpaced riffs are pretty much the only facets of guitar playing on this demo, leaving no room for melodies or intricate riffage. In addition to the decimating riffs, the vocals on "Exitus Letalis" are incredibly reminiscent of Chris Barnes from the low-end growls to the more guttural rasps and it suits the band's style of death metal perfectly. 

For a four song demo there isn't much variety and they all follow an incredibly similar pattern, though, "Exhumation" and "Necrophagia" tend to cause some more destruction than the other two tracks. Again, this isn't the greatest demo to be found in the blood and dust, but a full-length from this band could have been a decent addition to the fantastic death metal scene of Finland. Fans of Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, Sinister and the like should have no problems in enjoying Disinter and this demo. 

Highlights

"Exhumation"

"Necrophagia"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Sinister - Diabolical Summoning [1993]

The Netherlands may not have a scene as prolific as the mighty Swedes or the Americans, but the bands that were around in the early nineties offered some really good death metal whether it was from Asphyx, Pestilence, Creepmime or Gorefest, there was always a guarantee of quality from their releases and Sinister's sophomore record "Diabolical Summoning" is no exception. While the band's first full-length "Cross the Styx" showed a lot of talent and potential for the young band, their second album would really identify the band as a serious group in the death metal underground. The sound is tighter and the music is much more memorable all around from the riffs to the solos to the skull splitting vocals, drums and everything else, this record just kicks all kinds of ass from the start. 

The track "Sadistic Intent" wastes no time in battering the listener with an awesome transitioning between the thumping bass line and heavy riffage, before turning into one hell of a moshing track full of midpaced mayhem and death metal tremolos laced with intense drumming. The best aspect of Sinister's music on "Diabolical Summoning" would definitely be their ability to create music that is heavy and brutal without overdoing it and sounding like a Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation clone, but rather a more extreme version of Malevolent Creation, especially during the song "Magnified Wrath" which comes complete with palm-muted powerchords that crush oh so similarly to songs from the masterpiece that is "Retribution." This record doesn't depend on being evil to get its point across and aside from the intro to "Leviathan," there is never a need for any melody to set a tone or create an atmosphere, only violent and repulsive riffs are needed for this and tracks like the title track and "Mystical Illusions" are perfect for the occasion. 

Mastrigt's vocals aren't anything too amazing or worth bragging about, but they do their job well and compliment the insane music, not leaving anything more to be desired. There are a couple instances where the bass makes its presence felt ("Sadistic Intent" and "Leviathan") but overall nothing worth a lot of praise. The drumming on this record, however, is superb and consistent throughout, whether it's because of the thunderous double bass pedals that push the tempo well beyond fast or because of the added heaviness of the adequate fills. When all is said and done, "Diabolical Summoning" doesn't surpass albums like "Last One On Earth" or "Consuming Impulse," but it does find itself comfortably resting among the country's best death metal outputs in the twentieth century, and is definitely worth checking out for any fan of heavy music.

Highlights

"Sadistic Intent"

"Magnified Wrath"

"Leviathan"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.6/10]

Abigail - Descending from a Blackend Sky [1993]

Abigail have dubbed themselves as the most evil band in Japan and with a debut EP like this, I'd believe that. This release is nothing but savage, relentless black metal with a trace of the thrash metal that will make itself more relevant in their later releases. This isn't like anything you'd hear from Norway though. It's just as cold and evil but as soon as the album begins, you know that it's straight outta Japan.

The raw production of "Descending from a Blackend Sky" adds to the evil atmosphere as if it's expected to be taken seriously but with broken English song titles like "The Lord of Satan" and "Descending from a Blackend Sky" (Blackened being spelled wrong, of course), it's gonna be taken as seriously as any Japanese metal album would. The album also includes chilling ambient parts as the beginning and in the middle that are actually really well done and I just love how well it blends with the evil, fast paced black thrash. They add a very oriental feeling to the atmosphere on top of what's already there.

The guitars on the EP are vicious and fast as if they were to rip through your body like a chainsaw. The drums are often quick blast beats usually followed or proceeded by typical drum beats. Simplicity's never sounded so good. This release might be primitive and simple but it's the very first stepping stone to the beautiful black thrash that Yasuyuki Suzuki continues to make and it's definitely a stepping stone in the right direction. I definitely recommend listening to this and the rest of Abigail's discography in you're in the mood for savage, flesh ripping black/speed metal.

Highlights

"The Lord Of Satan"

"Descending from a Blackend Sky"

"Count Barbatos"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.2/10]