Master's Hammer - The Jilemnice Occultist [1992]

I've always been hard-pressed to find that Master's Hammer's groundbreaking sophomore was never considered a fountainhead of black metal, being a magisterial and delightfully bizarre work of avantgarde music of its own, since I've consistently found it above the quotient of such sacred cows as ''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' or Burzum's early body of work, not that I question the significance of these albums in the question of upraising the genre from its inchoate beginnings to fulfillment, nor that I find them 'bad' in any way, but particularly because the mysticism and originality of these Czech antiquarians have to my ears bestowed greater eerie beauty than any of the aforementioned. Granted, understandably, even hot on the heels on their killer debut, a practice in occult Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, the Czechs hadn't the audience back in 1992 to heed their call, but that still doesn't delineate how ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' is inexplicably shrouded in near-obscurity today. This is bar none the greatest Czech black metal album ever recorded in the country, notwithstanding being one of the finest black metal albums to emerge out of Eastern Europe, and though the band's decision to integrate queer, folksy operettas into the core of their raw first wave black metal scree would amount to the greatly unpopular and 'un-metal' ''Slagry'' within three years, I still fucking love it.

Just look at that cover. Sleek bat-like shapes peer jaggedly from the sides. A magician's hat and wand. A sweet looking black Les Paul's. Benignly occult adornments hanging from the wall. In truth, this is what ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' has in store. There's a similar focus on these coarse, black/thrash rhythms and broad chops as with ''Ritual'', with equally eloquent and mystical octave chords here and there, maintaining a relatively tentative pace for the album in general, but overall the guitar work is latticed with a greater deal of complexity and memorability, but likewise I love that the album consistently complements in predecessor and builds on its merits rather than starting completely anew. To wit, the guitars are wondrously dark and perfunctory, and conversely, there weren't many bands which were practicing the level of intricacy and occult lore-fed obscurity which the Czechs masterfully filtered through their instrumentation: if you think about it, the black metal circle was still quite limited beyond Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, who had long soared into a viking metal foray which I can only regard with indifference, and only Darkthrone and Burzum producing 'big' records. Master's Hammer fortunately had their peers Root to compete with, who were likewise very early entrants into the game, yet ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' manages even to beat Root's ''Temple in the Underground'', with its heavy/speed influence and experimental choral effects, in terms of overall quality.

But back to the music. What really makes this such a jump in quality from its predecessor and grandiose exploration in the avantgarde is, of course, the synths. Whatever track your shuffle takes you to, you're bound to land on some model of the synthesizer, which is now played with doubled frequency, ranging from the eerie crepuscular overtures like in the preliminary intro track, to these freakish, yet enchanted keys which sound as though they were plucked out of an illusionist's hat (how very fitting, eh?), but however much they may belong in some bag of Gothic bizarreries, the synthesizers and keyboards add an awe-inspiring sense of frolicking and frivolity, a dazzling, operatic folksiness which is pretty much non-existent in any other black metal album I've heard. There are just tons of excellent examples to the fusion of sordid black/thrash riffcraft and magical synth-work which entails it on the record, from the bass-loaded blast-beat attack of ''Oh, My Precious Sir, Do You Remember When...'' to ''Among the Hills a Windy Way'' which strides with these gyrating cacophonies of whammy bars - the 'occultist' succeeds nearly with every second. But, alas, how could I neglect Franta Storm on vocal duties? His minimalistic, seemingly amateurish inflection is there for a purpose. He coughs, laughs these uncanny Slavic slathers, and not to mention his rasp has only gotten better, with added semi-cleans reminiscent of the kind of choral vocal splendor Root was experimenting with at that time. ''Glory, Herr Hauptmann'' is this ridiculous black metal fantasy evolving with webs spun out of the imagination of synthesizers, nightmarish and heavenly at the same time, with an interlude of orchestral hymnals before erupting into another brilliant, scabrous black/thrash attack.

Naturally one wonder what these guys were thinking or what they were on when ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' was being recorded. Ritualistic and poetic would be a naive and artsy understatement. Otherwordly doesn't encompass it. This is a record which, at any rate, deserves to be experienced, and at least a few times repeatedly for the full effect, because the 'basic' attitude of the riffs and the lack of anything truly labyrinthine, this album ages with quality, like proper wine. The cohabitation of operatic and orchestral fancies with traditional, frosty Hellhammer influences is likely to serve as a major caveat for purists and retrograding listeners who want to hear nothing but the raw buzz of undiluted Norwegian black metal in their music, but the truth it, with such imaginative sophistication and a crafty enterprise sprung out of curiously fiddled nightmares and darkly pirouettes beyond the artistic comprehension of so many of these 'cult', 'raw', 'pure' or 'old-school' black metal bands, ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' doesn't give a fuck. So much of this masterpiece twists and soars in my head: the vocals, the harrowing or at times enchanting orchestral work, the riffs, that I've found it impossible after some point to permanently disintegrate this from my cranial compendium of the black arts. It is, to be sure, a sliver or two shy from absolute perfection, but an unsung evolutionary phase in the genre nonetheless that deserves its accolades. Sheer alienating, Gothic, morbid majesty.

The album was initially misprinted as ''The Filemnice Occultist'' because of a typo. Whatever the band and that typist had during the span of 1992-93, serve me a round of that.

Highlights
''I Don't Want, Sirs to Pester...''
''Among the Hills a Winding Way...''
''Oh, My Precious Sir...''
''Glory, Herr Hauptmann...!''

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.3/10]

Master's Hammer - Ritual [1991]

Master's Hammer's debut ''Ritual'' is one of those albums which comes with your early second wave black metal starter pack, along with such cults classics as ''A Blaze in the Northern Sky'', ''Hell Symphony'', ''Burzum'', ''Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism'', ''De Mistiriis Dom Sathanas'' and ''In the Nightside Eclipse''. Yet somehow in terms of 'cultness' ''Ritual'' exceeds the reputation of all the aforementioned records, a grisly, Eastern European response to Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, a record that stands the test of time both with its inherent sense of menace and evil, and its seemingly casual rawness, earning the praise of being 'the first Norwegian black metal album', despite belonging to the Czech Republic. Granted, the early 90's exemplified the sheer crudeness of early black metal, and before the time when Scandinavian black metal outfits poured from the skies like devil spawn during the mid-late 90's, there was a brief stone age, an antediluvian margin of time where demons devoured each other, angel carcasses were abound, and Master's Hammer subsidized some of the most ungodly music around.

Of course, it helps that the market was very unsaturated for black metal back in 1991. Robed in subtle overtures of atmospheric synthesizers and obscure beauty, ''Ritual'' channels a fundamental uniqueness in addition to its undiluted black/thrash hauteur which would later bequeath their sophomore masterpiece ''The Jilemnce Occultist'' with the title 'black metal operetta' which still holds today; looming keys a la early Emperor (though I would argue Ihsahn was probably more influenced by the Czechs than the other way round) are not dominant here, but they have a masterful, huanting quality which perpetuate the kind of folksy, ritualistic ambiance which Master's Hammer channel, especially with longish tracks like ''Pad Modly'', but really, keyboards are just a fragment of what makes ''Ritual'' such a bonafide attraction of early black metal. Where Burzum bathed in constant fuzzed darkness and embalmed forestry, Darkthrone practiced sheer, impenetrable evil, taking the Hellhammer influence to far colder region, ''Ritual'' was all about these mid-paced, almost groovy and syncopated chord progressions, octave laden but not melodic, and while the grittiness of this record still partakes in the rudimentary ghastly mess of Tormentor, or Celtic Frost circa 1985, there is a ribald and sinister feel to the riffs as they congruently evolve into more intricate, well-developed adaptations of their source material, perhaps slightly interchangeable, yes, but nonetheless varied and retaining sufficient clarity within the guitar and drums to appeal to fans of both 'cult', extinct demos with dilapidated production values, as well as connoisseurs of newsprint black metal recordings and those third wave acts like Ragnarok and Nokturnal Mortum.

It's not that ''Ritual'' doesn't feel like a doom metal record at times, it does. I don't always find this expropriation of 'pure' black metal aesthetics and dive into slow Celtic Frost territory very appealing, as in tracks like ''Geniove'', since the synths which back the lurching guitars at this point are hardly potent enough to create dream- or nightmarescapes on their own, providing a mere choral aural undertone to refurbish the rhythm department, and needless to say the band is better on its fast-paced, black/thrashing fervor. But whatever song is played, except the instrumental title track and atmospheric intro, vocalist Storm does a great fucking job of perpetuating the atmosphere with these raw, unhinged barks, that sound surprisingly professional. Some resonance, and the dude sounds like a fucking turbaned Bedouins smitten by leprosy, barking and coughing his way through the songs as though half-burnt and half claimed by a tumorous death; I'm even more in favor of his inflection in the second Master's Hammer record, where he romps up the performance with demonic coughs and sardonic laughter, but at any rate, with its distinctly entertaining shoveling of Czech lyrics, ''Ritual'' is one of the strongest contender to black metal vocal work far and wide across the genre. The native lyrics, while seemingly ostracizing for some, frankly add a terrific degree of calculated and almost poetic clamor to the record in general, and as with just about all heavy metal albums sung with their native tongue, I love this.

Like most early black metal recordings, ''Ritual'' lacks the longing and frigid mysticism of, say, ''Transilvanian Hunger'' or ''In the Nightside Eclipse'', but that's not to say it's a damned impressive offering overall and a record that was very much ahead of its time. ''Jama Pekel'' with its percussive, blast-beat oriented thrashing verse attacks and pungent, declarative chorus line alone should be able to convince any follower of the black metal cult that this is a record which deserves more recognition, full of winding and dark corners twisting into crude semi-nightmares and thunderous Eastern European skies, it is a record which very much evokes the jagged patch of terrain represented in its cover art, one of those midnight haunts every witchfinder should indulge in if he/she can find the time, and surely enough they will. Or, you could also regard it as level ladder to climb the theatrical cavalcade of their sophomore, which easily remains their best, and gleefully take pleasure in the skeletal liturgy as you work your way to the top.

Highlights
''Jama pekel''
''Věčný návrat'' 

''Pád modly''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Zyklon-B - Blood Must Be Shed [1995] (EP)

It's always fun to make arbitrary guesses on what a collaboration between numerous giants would sound like if they'd ever put out a disc, though the rarity of such collaborations usually kills the inspiration to come with different combinations. What would, for instance, a concoction of Van Drunnen, Chris Reifert, Steve DiGorgio and Bob Rusay of Cannibal Corpse sound like if they ever jammed in a garage? Well, I'd kill to hear a few pieces from that combo, but what we have here is unfortunately (and fortunately) not a collaboration between these four but another quartet coming from the deep, somber woods of Norwegian black metal. Zyklon-B is probably one of the heavy metal projects with the shortest lifespan to date, with their main material centered around this 10 minute mini-disc that reeks of nothing but delirious, haunting and spectral black metal of the rawest sort, straight out of Norway when the genre was at its pinnacle, and what's more is that this isn't merely a handful of songs recorded by a group of angry teens that decided to pay a homage to their co-existing countrymen by putting on a load of corpse paint and by picking up a few battered guitars; what's utterly stimulating about the brief ''Blood Must be Shed'' EP is that it was written, and performed by some of Norway's leading tyrants of profanity: Ihsahn, Samoth, Frost, Draug Aldrahn.

The quartet, or better known collectively as Zyklon-B, are nothing short of frenetic here, with their musical profundity for pure, Scandinavian black metal displayed with stark vigor and fervor, and the sheer straightforwardness of this EP makes it not only one of the most dissolute, uncontaminated specimens the genre has in store for us, to this day. Don't get me wrong, this was actually nothing too special, even for 1995 standards, when all the giants of the scene were releasing their magnum opuses and newer, more emergent acts were just throwing in new sounds and perspectives to the genre's freshly carved out trajectory, and the four titans of this EP were nothing if not opposed to being eccentric, but ''Blood Must Be Shed'' is simply caustic, nullifying fun. There actually few black metal bands at the time that were this to-the-point with their riffing patterns and progressions, because even the bluntest of bands had something fairly different buried withing their music, so this may be one of the few releases that had a major impact of the late coming Canadian extremists Revenge and Conqueror. So bloodied are the guitars are production qualities that Zyklon-B would probably sound like your run-off-the-mill Revenge duplicate if it wasn't for the atmospheric qualities of traditional Norwegian black metal.

That's right, even though ''Blood Must Be Shed'' sounds like a cheap interpretation of war metal, it is in fact not. There's plenty of atmosphere and aura that adheres throughout the barely sufficient 10 minutes that we are presented with, and what I love about this is that most of the atmospheric tenets are enlivened by Ihsahn's unsurpassed dominion of synthesizes. He sounds just as prominent as in Emperor's flawless debut offering, though perhaps with less frequent implementation. Samoth, who roams the guitar riffs, is masterful in conveying the Norwegian sounds, having played in Gorgoroth, Emperor and Satyricon among others, Frost's drumming is also tasty; perhaps nothing out of the ordinary but will vicious, fast, and convincingly sharp, and Aldrahn of Dodheimsgard has a the inflection of a punk-induced madman screaming his lungs out as if he were upfront of Mayhem's ''Deathcrush''. The riffs are, as told, intense, like a virile bombard of razors just as deadly as the rest of the music; which is utterly relentless, unbridled. The depictions of warfare and atomic annihilation are a somewhat novel theme in black metal (at least in 1995), and I did enjoy the small helping of sound tracks, like in ''Mental Orgasm''; a brief nuclear explosion concluding the track and then rushing onto the next, and then to the rampart finale, ''Warfare'', which ends likewise as ''Mental Orgasm''.

The crappy addendum of ''Blood Must Be Shed'', ''Total Warfare'', which stretches the original length of the recording by nearly 6 minutes is utterly repelling, a completely useless remix of ''Warfare'' with additional sound effects and samples that I still find irrelevant. Nevertheless, if you get the original copy and not the 2004 reissue, the you'll succeed in refraining from it. Thanks to this rather random collaboration, we get a taste of what some sparsely scattered Norwegian black metal musicians can conjure if they ever left their bedpost. ''Blood Must Be Shed'' explores nothing, except perhaps the most destructive, ravenous facets of black metal, imbued with the raggedly interesting theme of nuclear warfare, and in its carnivorous fit of rage, listeners are likely to feel just as enraged as the band members while they were recording. In all, even when the entirety of its components are taken into consideration, ''Blood Must Be Shed'' is not willing to be more than an acidic mini black metal album, hardly deviating from the norm, but, if truth be told, I don't think any of the band members were aiming for something with spectacular grandeur. It's absolute belligerent fun that doesn't hide its true colors.

Highlights
''Warfare''
''Bloodsoil''

Final Rating
Awesome [7.8/10]

Conqueror - War. Cult. Supremacy. [1999]

Your old mate Vagabond has been a bit busy with actual real life recently, so I haven't had much time to contribute to Nightmare Reality. With that being said, I've decided to transfer over some of the reviews I wrote last year for my "Arisen From The Crypt" monthly special which I stopped doing once I started doing old-school reviews on here....

Conqueror formed way back in 1992 and featured J. Read (Blood Revolt, Revenge, Black Witchery, Axis of Advance, Cremation, Kerasphorus, Arkhon Infaustus) on drums and vocals and R. Förster (Blasphemy, Domini Inferi, Revenge, Godless North) on the axe.

They played the most unrelenting war metal ever recorded. Constant blast beats, insane vocals that make your average black metal vocalist sound like Madonna and extremely fast distorted riffs all over the place are what to expect here, although it’s best to go into a release like this with no expectations, because whatever you’re expecting will be wrong.

In all honesty, this is the most savage album I have ever laid ears on. Most people who listen to “War. Cult. Supremacy.” will hear nothing but mush and noise, but the ones who actually “get it” will hear complete, utter primitivism and barbarity. This release is an audio war against humanity. No one is safe.

I have no other words for this. Get your hands on this any way you can and prepare to have your perspective on “music” changed forever.

Highlights: 
The whole thing.

Final Rating: Legendary [10/10]

Beherit – The Oath of Black Blood [1991]

Although Beherit’s “The Oath of Black Blood” is often confused for their first album, it is actually a compilation of their “Demonomancy” demo and “Dawn of Satan’s Millennium” EP, due to the recording money for the first actual album being pissed away on drugs and alcohol by the band. The music featured on these early works is, in a word; ugly. Sounding somewhere between early Bathory, Blasphemy, Sarcófago and primitive old-school death metal, this stuff is raw, frenzied and sounds like it was recorded in a cave using a blender. Clearly, a very different approach to what they would later achieve on “Drawing down the Moon”.

The first half of this release is much more primal and violent than the second half; it is here that you notice the heavy influence Beherit took from the ancient South American extreme metal scene. Chaotic and distorted riffs, simple but effective drumming and inhuman vocals assault the listener from all angles. Those looking for melody and fancy musicianship need not listen, as they won’t find it here!

The second half focuses a bit more on the experimental and ambient sounds that they would focus more on later in their career. There’s tasteful keyboard work and whispered vocals worked in with a less is more approach. It’s a bit weird to hear this after the blistering chaos of the first half, but it fits and flows well enough with the first half, still leaving “The Oath…” feeling more like an album than a compilation.

So, while not an actual “album”, I would still say that “The Oath of Black Blood” is an essential in any black metal listener’s collection. Unless you’re a pansy.

Highlights:

The Oath of Black Blood

Grave Desecration

Goat Worship

Black Mass Prayer

Final Rating: Masterpiece [9.0/10]

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

Angelcorpse - The Inexorable [1999]

Angelcorpse’s sophomore ‘’Exterminate’’ was by far their most efficient release, even though its predecessor ‘’Hammer Of Gods’’ held an even more savage aura, and Angelcorpse’s final offering of the 90’s proves to be logical continuation of the previous record, yet for some reason, it’s their third release, ‘’The Inexorable’’ which appealed to me most. While the third siege may seem like an almost exact copy of the previous release, there are some nuances that make up all the deviation it needs to progress and thrive even further, despite the fact that the differences in between the two records are genuinely very little. ‘’The Inexorable’’ arranges the fulsome spectrum of riffs that previous albums possessed and puts them in order, thus giving birth to even more mature structures and riffs, more consistent patterns and more balanced elusive manoeuvres. With ‘’The Inexorable’’ the music reaches its utter peek in ripeness and the aftermath of the storm is (as always) nothing but sheer destruction.

Angelcorpse’s compositions have improved, and they have positioned their black and death metal textures even more carnally this time. The death metal half of ‘’The Inexorable’’ is just as it was on the previous record, robust, tantalizing, brutal and copious, boasting savagery and culminating annihilation, but the black metal side of the coin has differed, embracing the dispersing elements even more than before and giving more room to utter complexity and brain tangling riffs – proving to be quite varying over only single songs. The choppier yet cleaner tone also deserves laud, sustaining the bridge between crushing and energetic at all times. With nearly all of its implements properly placed, ‘’The Inexorable’’ becomes an even more efficient piece of artillery, and its hooks are bound dig even further into your flesh, because the band has also gotten rid of most of the hindrances that had the potential to mar the riffs and affect their diversity, so the album ultimately packs a more boggling punch than its predecessors.

Its maturity is the only aspect that separates it from its peers, and frankly it’s the only aspect that puts off metalheads that are more into the savage and blunt edge of Angelcorpse, rather than its riper side. ‘’The Inexorable’’ does have a small negative side, though. AS it focuses too much on the fertility and fullness of the massive, crushing guitar tone, it leaves the drums and bass almost in audible. In exchange, the album does attain a more enveloping sound and aura, but also becomes nearly devoid of one of Angelcorpse’s crucial intensity attributes; the drumming. While straightforward death metal overtones may render the drums clean, the blackened bestiality is far too cavernous for the drums to sustain complete audibility, therefore, they are sometimes rendered clean and sometimes inaudible. But even though the drums are sometimes marred, it does not prevent the riffs in general from possessing efficiency. ‘’The Inexorable’’ is probably not the favourite Aneglcorpse album of many, but to me it is, with its sharp hooks and everything. ‘’Exterminate’’ is very closely behind it, but my decision is likely to change frequently. 

Highlights

''The Fall Of The Idols Of Flesh''

''Stormgods Unbound''

''Smoldering In Exile''

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9/10]

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]

Abhorer - Rumpus of the Undead [1989] (Demo)

Before all of the bombastic song titles and before the full-length, Abhorer got started way back in 1989 with their debut demo “Rumpus of the Undead.” The most extreme music around then were bands like Autopsy, Bathory, Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel and Celtic Frost among others, but the four songs (not counting the intro) here are quite savage themselves, much moreso than the aforementioned bands who were the giants of the time. A lot of people may have not been prepared for the raw and sloppy music that coursed through this demo, because this music is absolutely filthy. The riffs, production, vocals and everything else just reeks of old-school. 

The first thing that anyone will immediately notice after the intro track clears is the muddled production. The quality of the production on this demo is shitty to say the least, but it adds to the overall feel of the songs quite nicely. The Celtic Frost/Slaughter guitar tone is murky and it makes the opening power chords of “Repudiated Faith” sound really dark. Throw in some whammy bar madness and incomprehensible growls, and you have the vile sound that Abhorer created. The majority of the riffs on “Rumpus of the Undead” are tremolo bursts and some occasional power chords, but there isn’t much variation in the riffs. Still, tracks like the title track and “Profane Immolation” crush as they engulf the listener in a shroud of evil, while they're simultaneously being pummeled by the rapid-fire percussion and insane growls. This Singaporean quartet definitely made an impact of sorts with this demo, but they would also go on to create much better music and leave an ugly and profound mark on the metal underground in Asia, and the world for that matter. 

Highlights

“Repudiated Faith”

“Rumpus of the Undead”

“Profane Immolation”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.2/10]

Angelcorpse - Hammer Of Gods [1996]

While their later releases ‘’Exterminate’’ and ‘’The Inexorable’’ will prove to be more cunning and technically surpassing albums, Angelcorpse’s debut album ‘’Hammer Of Gods’’ is not without flaws. The third and second effort are closely related, both possessing a more lively edge and a processed portion of Angelcorpse’s savage attitude, but although ‘’Hammer of Gods’’ is just frenetic and just crazed with erupting blackened death metal fury, it’s clear that it hasn’t fully been turned into a credible substance, thus offering no more than pure demented aggression. Even so, the debut remains as the most frantically driven and it beholds a strength that could reduce any man into cinder within the blink of an eye, therefore ‘’Hammer Of Gods’’ stands as Angelcorpse’s most barbaric incursion, although so of its blows may tend to miss its target.

The overwhelming savagery has an obvious reason here. The musicianship hasn’t properly developed, and therefore we’re left with heaps of uncontrollable energy and callow riffs, enjoyable nonetheless. ‘’Hammer Of Gods’’ big flaw is the lack of prowess, but it’s also devoid of the spiking, sturdy guitar tone of ‘’Exterminate’’ (which augmented even further on ‘’The Inexorable’’), leading us to fibrous riffs, dispersing and scattering vigorously. Of course, the coarse jumble of tremolos and chords are totally gut-splattering. ‘’Hammer Of Gods’’ will punch you with its iron hammer again and again, and it will send a swirling vortex of chaos upon the remainders of your pulverized body to distort even further. Every song is just another strike of the hammer, numbing continuously, and your flesh will be all but gobs of meat when the album ends.

If you want a tantalizing demonstration of Angelcorpse’s early sound, look no further than this record. It’s accessible compared to the band’s demo material but still raw, demented and drunk with power. The drumming is simple, crude blast beats, while the vocals are throatier than ever, and the production is also a futile one, raw and decrepit. I can’t say that this is my favourite old school Angelcorpse record, but I can’t say I dislike it either, because after all, there’s still stuff here that would make your head jut up and down until snaps, and no matter how crude it is compared to its peers, I can’t help but enjoy this berserk black/death album. 

Highlights

''The Scapegoat''

''Lord Of The Funeral Pyre''

''Envenomed''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.4/10]

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]

Angelcorpse - Exterminate [1998]

US blackened death metal legends Angelcorpse were the definition of war metal. Everything the band did in the 90’s was gold, and alongside Blasphemy, Gospel Of The Horns, Conqueror, Destroyer 666, Angelcorpse were one of the bands which had a massive impact of the modern black/death scene, pretty much innovating all the bands which featured extremely aggressive riffs with loads of speed, precision and corpulence. Their music is absolutely crushing, devastating, and culminating with aggravating lyrical content of war, war, and war. To make a long story short, Angelcorpse innovated the black/death scene as we know it, and to this day, their tracks reek of nothing but war, destruction and complete devastation and abhorrence against humanity.

Their sound is defined by pummelling drum beats, shattering and scathing visceral vitriol all around, and the closest comparison would be the primal war metal bands of the 90’s with additional blasting elements snatched from the Florida death metal scene to boast the rambunctious, devastating porthole of riffs, sprayed upon the listener within an instant. Although all of Angelcorpse’s albums are robust excursions and perplexing brutality and ravaging decimation, their second offering ‘’Exterminate’’ ultimately lives up to its name, fabricating and culminating the utmost brutality that Angelcorpse ever bestirred. ‘’Exterminate’’ is such a complex warp of constantly deviating disaster that it never seems to cease in speed and the richly layered textures are always on the work, either pummelling guts of rapidly surfacing through flesh, but constantly damaging all the same.

With its intellectual approach to blackened death metal, ‘’Exterminate’’ sounds almost like a slightly technical death metal album, but the fog of seething old school black metal corruption makes sure such an event never occurs, stabilizing the album’s position as old school. Although Angelcorpse take a plentiful measure of black metal and shove them up the furious death metal content, ‘’Exterminate’’ has evolved in a way that renders the black metal influence nearly invisible, and the black metal traits have slowly blended with the death metal traits, forming a fusion that harnesses the energy of both within one wreathed chord whirlwind.

‘’Exterminate’’ will batter down the walls of your ears. It’s monstrously crushing, contemptuous, and writhing. While it can easily shatter with its terrific line of turbulences, it still tends to add some variation into these violent incursions, embellishing the outrageous chord fluctuations with diverse melodies here and there, and you’ll also see a massive breakdown at seldom, where the music channels into one smashing thrash chug all of a sudden. The vocals are raspy and to the point, exhaling words without procrastinating anything, and the drums are just as ill-tempered as the guitars, rolling in and forth between blast beats, blast beats and yet more blast beats. ‘’Exterminate’’, alongside with Angelcorpse’s early work are masterpieces of brutality, and a completely different view of war as we know it. 

Highlights

''Reap The Whirlwind''

''Wartorn''

''That Which Lies Upon''

''Sons Of Vengeance''

Final Rating

Almost A Masterpiece [8.9/10]

Bestial Warlust - Blood & Valour [1995]

After releasing one of the best extreme metal albums in Australia’s history, Bestial Warlust didn’t waste anytime sulking in their relative underground success down under. Instead they hit the studio the next year to create a follow-up to the masterpiece that was “Vengeance War Till Death.” The result was the equally diabolical sophomore record “Blood & Valour,” a record that will not disappoint fans of the band’s previous work, but will offend just about everyone else. With the departure of axe master KK Warslut and bassist Corpsemolester, it’s incredible to see how well this album came out. Less than a year later with two new members in the fold, but that is just a testament to how good Bestial Warlust is. 

Riff-wise, the songs on this album aren’t much different from those on the predecessor. There’s a lot of tremolo picking throughout, with the most notable flurries of rapid-riffage being on “…Till the End” and the insane “I, the Warrior.” “Legion of Wrath” is one hell of a headbanger, due to the awesome midpaced riffs that give the listener a breath of fresh air from the constant tremolos. The incredible instrumental “Within the Storm” features some of Bestial Warlust’s best riffs, as well as some of the best songwriting skills from this Aussie horde. “Prelude: Descention Hells Blood” is the most evil track in this band’s arsenal, right up there with “Satanic” from the debut. The song starts with a haunting clean intro and some wind sound effects, only for the serenity to cease once those heavy power chords hit and the wicked tremolos return. 

While I don’t find this record to be better than the band’s debut, there is one significant upgrade on “Blood & Valour.” The production. This music is still undeniably old-school and the production is still pretty shit compared to modern standards (then again, who would want to listen to pure savagery like this with modern production?), but all of the instruments sound so much clearer than they did back in ‘94. The drumming doesn’t take over the music, as the riffs are clearly heard despite Hellcunt’s relentless performance behind the kit. And Bloodstorm’s vocals are still in top form as he brings a violent and barbaric edge to the already brutal music. Bestial Warlust is one of the reasons why Australia’s scene is beyond amazing, and their influence is irrefutable because of classics like “Vengeance War Till Death” and “Blood & Valour.” 

Highlights

“Death Rides Out”

“…Till the End”

“I, the Warrior”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.7/10]

Ancient - Svartalvheim [1994]

Despite the fact that Norway is one of (if not the) most prolific countries, in terms of black metal output, I have never been very fond of a vast majority of the bands. Aside from the giants of the scene (Immortal, Mayhem, and Darkthrone), I've never been able to listen to the "grvm" stuff from that country because it bored the shit out of me. But, you've got to dig around and find some stuff, because there is some quality in that cesspool of a scene. One such album that has been a nice find is Ancient's debut full-length "Svartalvheim." While the band would later go on to turn into another shitty band, this record has some substance to it that's worth a listen. 

What really impressed me with the sound of Ancient was their ability to conjure up riffs and melodies that were entirely reminiscent of phenomenal bands such as Bathory and Dissection. After the intro is the track "Trumps of an Archangel" which is an awesome song. Plenty of Bathory worship in the riffs, with the occasional melodic moments, some nasty vocals, and plenty of vile. Seriously, this track is some great, disgusting old-school black metal and had the entire album consisted of material like this track, it would have been amazing. "Huldradans" is a cool track that's definitely more in vein of Dissection (Acoustics and all!), as there's plenty of melody in the riff throughout. "The Call of the Absu Deep" is a much more doomy track that should get anyone's headbanging. Unfortunately, the music aside from these tracks is plagued with mediocrity and terrible songwriting. 

"Det Glemte Riket" would have been a promising song, but too many random inclusions of acoustic sections kind of killed the song a bit. It would be one thing if the acoustic sections added some kind of dark sound or killer solo, but they were just randomly placed acoustic parts that didn't fit the song at all. This happens in "Paa Evig Vandring" as well, and "Ved Trolltjern" is an acoustic song throughout with some echoed vocals, nothing more. At the end of "Svartalvheim," though, the good outweighs the bad and keeps Ancient's debut from being another awful album in the Norway scene and I would definitely recommend it to fans of Bathory, Dissection, Immortal, etc. 

Highlights

"Trumps of an Archangel"

"Huldradans"

"The Call of the Absu Deep"

Final Rating

Awesome [8/10]

Usurper – Threshold of the Usurper [1997]

Usurper was a relatively primitive black/thrash metal band from Chicago. They split up in 2007 and left us a respectable discography of killer old-school metal. “Threshold of the Usurper” is their first EP, which was released in 1997 following their debut album “Diabolosis”.

The first thing that you may notice upon listening to Usurper is an obvious Hellhammer influence; the bass is really thick and heavy whilst the guitars have an ugly punk-ish feel to them, thus leading to this comparison. Not to mention the vocals are very reminiscent of Tom G. Warrior at times. However, there is more to Usurper than just another Hellhammer clone!

There is plenty of variety within the 5 songs present here (4 originals and a fantastic rendition of Mercyful Fate’s “Black Funeral”). “Necrocult, Part 1 (The Metal War)” is a pretty straightforward and relentless thrashing beast of a song, “Slavehammer” sounds like a beefed up Hellhammer tune and makes me think of what could have happened if Warrior and co. showed up after the death and black metal movement had already began its momentum, “The Dead of Winter” is a slow and atmospheric song laden with acoustic guitars and a deep level of denseness and the epic 14 minute title track ranges from crushing doom to manic black metal and everything in between.

Running at over 34 minutes, they could have easily gotten away with labeling this as a full length, but; they didn’t, which proves Usurper are not the type of band to do things half arsed. If you’re looking for a good starting point to get into this band, “Threshold…” is the place to look.

Highlights:

Slavehammer

The Dead of Winter

Final Rating: Awesome [8.3/10]

Nidhoggr - Ravens Over The Road Of The Kings [1994] (Demo)

My sheer love for the grotesqueries that come out of Finland cannot be questioned. Yes, I’m talking about the Finnish death metal scene, a plentiful pile of rot and macabre decay, putrid and abominable in every way. But besides the death metal scene in Finland to emerge in the 90’s, there’s also a cult underground black metal scene, quite extensive yes, but still dwarfed by the captivating copiousness of the death metal scene. There were a few bands that the black metal underground respected and knew, but Nidhoggr is just not one of those exulted bands. Listening to their 1994 demo ‘’Ravens Over The Road Of Kings’’ is like Burzum gnawing against your ears with stark strictness, and amongst so many false imitators, finally comes a band who knows how to worship.

Yes, a Burzum scent reeks heavily in every riff, every break, every turn and twist; in every aspect. ‘’Ravens’’ is a relatively short demo, consisting of only three songs, but once you enter its frigid cold atmosphere it’s not easy to get out as you’re always in the grip of grim, sombre winter, absolutely blood chilling and glacial. The instrumentation is sheer brilliance I tell you. Brilliance. The riffs are set on a damp, jagged texture and flow with craggy, angular turns, and the production is exceedingly raw and diminishing, so the tremolo pickings will always be reduced in vivacity and fullness, and you’ll need to crank the volume up if you want to properly hear this one. Atmospheric traits are just as favoured as the dreary elements of the music. Every riff is harsh, abrupt attack, but at the same time, it provokes an epic sense, which is always a pleasant thing to hear in your black metal.

Even the vocals, sonically intense and gelid screams and harsh rasps remind me of Burzum, and these rasps are so cold and haunting that I can say that they’re even better than Varg’s vocals performance, even though they seldom tend to appear. ‘’Thou Shalt Burn At Our Stacker’’ carves a deep hole into the listener’s ear from the start, giving of a great impact of cold, grim melancholy and other raw aspects of the demo, and ‘’From The Forest Come The Wanderer’’ begins its six minute journey with brief little melody spectrum, flashing into an crude, cavernous tremolo attack afterwards. The concluding track finalizes the demo with a queer plethora of melodies and turns cutting and splashing onto each other with cantankerous complexity and cunning. I have no doubt that any Norwegian black metal fan will find this entertaining (though in a eerie way), and Burzum fans especially will salivate over this.

Highlights

''Thou Shalt Burn At Our Stacker''

''From The Forest Come The Wanderer''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.8/10] 

Tormentor - Anno Domini [1988] (Demo)

Absolute fucking insanity. That's really all that needs to be said about Tormentor's "Anno Domini" demo. There's a reason that this record is held in such high regards in the metal underground, whether you're of the belief that this demo was incredibly influential or you feel that's just a rehash of stuff done by bands that came before such as Bathory, Mayhem (A band that Chisar would soon work with on the legendary "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"), Sodom or Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, this music is a destructive force that all falses should avoid. If you fall into the latter camp of people, then you really must get your ears checked because, while there is some definite similarities in style, Tormentor are easily one of the more unique bands of the bunch due to the technical proficiency shown throughout these 13 tracks. 

Wait, technicality and sloppy black/thrash? Surely I must be jesting, but of course not, these Hungarian vandals were very talented with their instruments because in the midst of the sheer aggression and fuddled atmosphere there are brilliant melodies that are strung throughout, acoustic sections that have a classical feel and of course there are some phenomenal solos. But, the vast majority of this demo is dedicated to sounding evil and ripping flesh with riffs that are razor sharp. The riffs range from crazy hammer-on-ridden ones like the ones found on "Heaven" (the best song on this demo by the way) and "Tormentor II" to midpaced stompers such as the ones found on "In Gate of Hell" and "Beyond" to the venomous thrash riffs and tremolos like those featured on "Tormentor I" and "Apocalypse."

Like I said, there's more to "Anno Domini" than just crazy riffs, there's some great variety here. "Lyssa" is a technical, yet blasphemous instrumental that mesmerizes as well as slays. "Trance" and "Elisabeth Bathory" both mix up the clean guitars with the distortion for an eerie and evil atmosphere that will send chills down your spine. And, of course the other instruments all deliver here, with the drumming reaching top speeds that send the music into frantic paces while also spewing out great fills left and right. The bassist manages to keep up with all of the manic music perfectly and also has some terrific fills. Then there are the vocals which might actually be the highlight of Tormentor's music, as the legendary Attila Chisar's vile rasps (very similar to Quorthon and "Angelripper") conjure up a violent storm that is equivalent to the ferocity of the music itself. To sum everything up in a sentence, "Anno Domini" is a goddamn masterpiece where everything works perfectly together and if you find yourself not liking this demo then you need to be burned and died. 

Highlights

"Tormentor I"
"Heaven"

"Apocalypse"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.3/10]

Nifelheim - Nifelheim [1994]

Although Nifelheim's self titled debut album was released during the time when the second wave of black metal was just getting popular, it follows the exact trail that early black/thrash savages like Hellhammer, Bathory or Venom created. There were some pioneering black/death acts which emerged during the early-mid 90's as well, such Swedish blasphemers Necrophobic or Finland's darkened black/death assault Belial, but Nifelheim produced over-the-top, completely flurried black/thrash that doesn't fail to butcher carcasses. And in addition to the extremity and sheer speed of their music, Nifelheim has to be one of the first bands to correlate satanic themes with traditional metal anthems lyric wise, and even though their music evil and frantic, cheesy black/thrash/speed moments can not be avoided. Not that I'm complaining about these so called ''cheesy'' riffs, really.

The main material that enhances the speed, the aggression and all things evil is that Nifelheim (as stated) take their influences from the early black metal scene rather than the second scene which is a much atmospheric affair by all standards. Hints of cloudy atmosphere here and there may be present, and there's a resonant production quality too, but otherwise the whole of the album is a fluent burst of militant black/thrash, seldom tending to slow down or show any sign of deterioration. The production is thin and metallic just as the guitar tone, so you won't be provided with a whole lot of chunky, carnal riffs, but the disastrous tremolo pickings and chord strums are as sharp as newly-forged blade, so you've been warned--don't mess with this one. I also tend to enjoy the flickering array of dismal melodies, thrown into the crazed riffing at a common basis, and the somewhat sophisticated feel of the riffs, keeping the dynamics at a high level for a good near-thirty-minutes. Tracks like ''Possessed By Evil'' embrace the classic black/thrash/speed attitude with scratchy, tremolo and chord attacks while the bombastic goodness frenzy on Sodomizer is out of control and the supreme combination of atmosphere and semi-technical riffs on ''Storm Of Satan's Fire'' is another treat entirely.

Yes, the album is no longer than ''Reign In Blood'', then again, it's similar to the aggressive magnum opus in many ways, but surprisingly, Nifelheim has managed to keep the energy constant and volatile throughout, and a substantial amount of variation is offered with the gritty, grinding edge of the fuzzy riffs, only be enhanced with primal art of blast beating and the crusty barks of Per ''Hellbutcher'' Gustavsson. Everything is  irritating, in the right manner that is, and the primitive attitude or early black metal and early thrash metal is preserved throughout every single track, with a tiny dash of atmosphere, hidden under the riffs. Next time, when you're going through your classic black/thrash pieces and while channeling between Usurper, Desaster, Destroyer 666, early Sodom and Kreator, and Aura Noir, don't forget to remind yourself of the masterful bestiality of ''Nifelheim''.

Highlights
''Black Curse''
''Storm Of Satan's Fire''
''Possessed By Evil''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.7/10]

Irreverent – Blasphemous Crucifix Profanation [Compilation – 2010]

 I’m sure most of our readers here at Nightmare Reality are somewhat familiar with the black/death metal act Black Witchery, but, what about the old-school death metal band Impurath and co. formed way back in 1991 who only recorded a couple of demos before changing the name to Witchery before moving on to become the entity now known as Black Witchery? In 2010, a compilation album featuring the two previously released demos, one unreleased demo and two live tracks was released.

As I mentioned above; Irreverent was formed in 1991 when Impurath and co. were very young, probably still teenagers. It’s been said that they originally started off playing a lot of Hellhammer and Bathory covers, which definitely shows through on the songs here; which feature a weighty Hellhammer-ish tone and vibe. The Irreverent material differs greatly from what they would go on to write as Black Witchery… for starters; the music is often much slower, almost ritualistic at times, and as mentioned, has a massive Hellhammer vibe in the bass-heavy guitar tone.

The production is surprisingly consistent between the demos, allowing the compilation to flow more like a full length album, which works well given the 40 minute run time. The songwriting is generally straightforward and primitive, with plenty of variety between songs, leaving this to be one of the best demo comps I’ve heard in a while. I’d put it up there with Slaughter Lord and Sadistic Intents’ compilation releases.

“Blasphemous Crucifix Profanation” is a must-own for all fans of Black Witchery, old-school death metal and punishing Hellhammer worship. If I still haven’t convinced you that this is worth bagging, look up the songs “Crush the Messiah”, “Mortuary Feast”, “Ritual of Darkness” and “Holy Denunciation” to hear this long forgotten cult band speak for itself.

Final Rating:

Awesome 8.3/10

Anal Vomit - Sudamerica Brutal [1998] (Demo)

When people think of old-school South American metal, they often look towards Brazil, with its rich and sparse underground scene, ranging from the obvious legends Sepultura and Sarcófago to underground black metal horde Mysitifier and death metal acts such as Krisiun and Headhunter D.C. It seems that a lot of metal fans have forgotten there are other countries in South America that feature great underground scenes, one of the most prominent being Peru; home to the filthy and barbaric underground horde that is Anal Vomit.

Anal Vomit has been around for a long time, forming way back in 1993 when I was a wee toddler and releasing their first demo tape in ’93 and still pumping releases out to this day. “Sudamerica Brutal” is their fourth demo, which was released in ’98 and was subsequently rereleased the next year on the “Sudamérica Brutal 1” split with Funeral (from Paraguay) and Carnarium (Argentina). It was also rereleased once again in 2011 on CD, featuring new artwork and two bonus tracks; this is the version I actually own, and so for the purposes of this particular site, I won’t be mentioning the bonus tracks again in this review.

Anal Vomit play a very raw and old-school blend of straightforward South American black/death/thrash, most obviously influenced by Sarcófago and Vulcano as well as the other usual suspects. The music is really filthy and energetic, featuring one of the most insane drummers I’ve heard, the guy is a total maniac! The riffs are all over the place, yet still follow the song structures, having a “controlled chaos” type effect on the songs. The bassist/vocalist reminds me of the possessed missing link between young Tom Angelripper and Wagner Antichrist, having one of the most bestial and aggressive deathrash voices I’ve ever come across! It’s these very elements that have allowed Anal Vomit to become a recent favourite of mine. 

The production is exactly what you would expect from this type of bestiality: filthy, raw and completely merciless! The mix is surprisingly bass-heavy, which strives to help Anal Vomit stand out from the other rotten hordes paying tribute to ancient South American death cults. Whilst the mix is very raw, you can still hear every instrument clearly and tell what’s going on in each track. What more could you want from a band that worships at the altar of Sarcófago, Vulcano, Possessed, Sodom and the like?

Anal Vomit is a must-listen for fans of old-school South American terror. It is bands like this that separate the men from the boys and put hair on your pasty suburban chest. Falses need not entry.

Highlights:

Into the Eternal Agony

Slaved Mind

Kingdom of the Cruelty

Final Rating:

8.5/10 Awesome.