ALASTIS
«The Just Law»
Head Not Found (1992)
rating: 6 of 6
I always respected ALASTIS for their music; besides, this band appears as one of the strongest BM forces in Switzerland (at least in my eyes). Of course, now with appearance of such bands as FORSTH and others, they have to stand some competition, but I think they’ll manage to stay strong. From «The Just Law» till ALASTIS’ latest CD «The Other Side» I heard many critics comparing them to SAMAEL and they may be right. Yes, this debut effort sounds much like SAMAEL’s first album «Worship Him» and «The Other Side» is close to «Passage» by Vorphalack and co. But it doesn’t mean that ALASTIS are unoriginal - in my opinion, they are quite distinctive band with their own face. «The Just Law» features slow, extremely grim and dreary music unlike «... And Death Smiles» and «The Other Sides» CD’s, accented on guitars, not synthesizers (though few of them are here as well, played by session keyboardist). This album leaves you in utter depression and obstrusive thoughts of the End... Excellent stuff with long songs, weird vocals with every tune, every riff cloaked by atmosphere of supreme evil and darkness...
 
AMON GOETH
«Call The Master» (1992)
rating: 4 of 6
This Czechia’s band was formed by Dr. FE, previously known thanks to ROOT. After some disagreements he left the band and created his own project firstly called as AMON, name which later (somewhere in 1995, I guess) was changed into AMON GOETH. «Call The Master» is their third demo bringing pure underground black / death metal with that old underground feeling and sincerity although played in quite modern way. Vocals on Dr. FE are memorable and definitely non-standard when it comes to typical cliches of BM, they’re more deep than usual screams performed by black metallish singers, but have nothing to do with death or grind. Guitar passages also leave good impression, especially dark solos. Here you can also find few keyboard parts which don’t harm music at all, on the contrary adorning sound and making it more completed. I heard some rumours that AMON GOETH had to release demo called «The Worship» in the shape of CD on Moribund Records, but nothing happened since that (year of 1994). Recently I was informed that they signed with Nazgul’s Eyrie Productions and have first full-length album ready, which is being awaitedby me with great impatience.
 
BEHEMOTH
«From The Pagan Vastlands» (1994)
Nazgul’s Eyrie Productions
rating: 6 of 6
This is second and most-known demo from Polish godz BEHEMOTH, where they finally found their unique sound. «From The Pagan Vastlands» musically is most close to «Sventevith...» album but with more poor sound (yeah, production sucks really bad). Strange, but it doesn’t seem to be a shortcoming... «From The Pagan Vastlands» includes six own BEHEMOTH’s tunes (the best ones are undoubtedly «Fields Of Haar - Megiddo» and opening track «From Hornedlands To Lindisfarne») and MAYHEM’s «classic» cover «Deathcrush». The emphasis surprisingly made on acoustic guitars, whose parts are rather pleasing. Rhythm guitar sucks, while lead guitarist’s (namely Frost) solos are excellent... They contrast music a bit, being almost heart-rending... As a conclusion - this is absolutely unprofessional release, despite that it appears as better one comparing to «Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic)» CD. Can you believe it? You’ll have to. One more thing to add is that «From The Pagan Vastlands» was re-released in 1995 by Wild Rags in USA and Nazgul’s Eyrie in Europe.
 
BEHERIT
«Drawing Down The Moon»
Spinefarm Records (1993)
rating: 5, 5 of 6
This is third effort from Finnish godz BEHERIT and probably their best work so far. As you know, after «Drawing Down The Moon», they changed their music in more than drastical way – from raw, pure black metal to space / black-industrial… Some may like their new stuff, some may not, but nevermind it, because here we talk about CD which was released a year before this metamorphosis. «Drawing…» represents all the best BEHERIT could offer, and raw production surprisingly doesn’t harm anything at all, moreover it even makes the whole album more pleasing to the ear… This CD includes quite big number of tracks and most of them are quite short. Basically, it’s pure black / death metal, sometimes fast and grinding, sometimes more doomy and hell as slow (such songs (f.ex. «Unholy Pagan Fire») appealed to me much more than those fast ones). Vocals seem to come from the very depths of hell – these infernal screams differ BEHERIT from other BM bands a lot. «Drawing…» also includes a tune called «Nuclear Girl»; this one is made in the vein of future BEHERIT’s sound… mystical and obscure black / industrial with unearthly sfx’s and inhuman shrieks. Generally speaking, this is brilliant album and those who still don’t have it are nothing but losers… 
 
DARKTHRONE
«Soulside Journey»
Peaceville Music (1991)
rating: 1 of 6
After «A Blaze In The Northern Sky» release, answering question like «what does he think now of «Soulside Journey»», Fenriz angerly said that he hates this CD, in every possible way trying to portray things like it doesn’t have anything to do with present DARKTHRONE which obviously tells us of this guy’s low mental capabilities. However, I can understand him. In spite of those recognizable Nocturno Culto’s (a.ka. Ted Skjellum and Kveldulv) harsh funeral vokills and sombre lyrics, musically «Soulside Journey» represents pure Swedish death metal with typical noisy guitar sound, recorded in Sunlight Studio. Boring album.
 
FESTER
«Winter Of Sin»
No Fashion Records (1992)
rating: 5 of 6
Eh, bandname and the album’s title sound rather contrary, aren’t they? Anyway, despite this stupid and typical DM name, FESTER were one of the first (as well as most interesting and technical!) black metal bands in Norway and even took part in the Inner Circle’s activities together with Euronymous... After the release of two demo tapes - «The Introduction» and «Winter Of Sin» (the first was produced by MAYHEM’s leader himself), No Fashion finally made avalaible this CD. Well, I have to tell you that for 1992 «Winter Of Sin» was truly an outstanding recording!!! As you may remember, most of BM bands that time sounded extremely childish and their efforts had terrible sound quality, but FESTER never had anything in common with aforementioned acts. This album is very well recorded and produced by Raymond Cesar Pellicer, while the performance quality beats all the limits! Yes, that’s really strange for the Norwegian band, heh... Of course, the first one who has to be marked out is FESTER’s lead guitarist, Bjorn «Tiger» Mathiasen - his solos would impress everyone who has good taste in music. Vocals sound in BURZUM vein, although being quite different from Varg’s shrieking in the same time. Drumming is truly above average, the same goes for bass lines. The only shortcoming here consists in somehow lacking atmosphere, also some songs strikes as too long ones and, therefore, sound boring. However, despite the afore-cited words, with the such songs as «The Ancient Gods Wore Black», «Victory!!!» and «As The Swords Clinch The Air», «Winter Of Sin» deserves the attention of all the black metallers...
P. S. Two years passed and FESTER were signed to Lethal Records, who released this band’s second CD - «Silence», and it’s followup - «Silent Is The Raven» in the end of 1994. These ones were also very good, sincere and technical recordings, this time more atmospheric, with brilliant guitar passages... But unfortunately, I didn’t hear anything from them since that. Seems like Lethal Records rip-offed and buried one more great band... 
 
FUNERAL WINDS
«Resurrection...»
Pagan Records (1994)
rating: 3, 5 of 6
Thanks to this recording, we can behold natural evolution of FUNERAL WINDS. From simple and primitive straight-forward satanic black metal to LIAR OF GOLGOTHA’s atmospheric and a bit complicated black / death with keyboards and female vocals. «Resurrection...» have all «true» attributes, and I guess it’s needless to say what exactly. Cover and layout creates an impression of amateurish work and that live photo just makes me laugh... Anyway, this demo / MCD should be obtained by those who still don’t have it simply because FUNERAL WINDS were one of the first Dutch BM bands and «Resurrection...» now can be reckoned to «classic» recordings.
 
HAVOHEJ
«Dethrone The Son Of God»
Candlelight Records (1994)
rating: the worst album ever released by American BM band
I guess that rating already says it all, don’t you think so? HAVOHEJ includes some ex-PROFANATICA members and comparing to their former group, this band’s music can be called as «not bad», but only in comparison to PROFANATICA (fortunately dead and gone now) which appeared as super-crap in my opinion. This album has nothing to offer except for «singer» with rather average «voice», which is the the only thing which cannot be dragged into shit unlike everything else on «Dethrone...». Production is non-existent here, as well as guitars sounding too weak to impress anyone. Insane drumming and hateful vocals only make the whole CD sound comedic... With such efforts, black metal surely had to die as a genre already few years ago, which, however, doesn’t happen because we have really worthy bands in the scene... Like IMMORTAL, reviewed below.
 
IMMORTAL
«Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism»
Osmose Productions (1992)
rating: 5 of 6
«Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism» is first and probably the best IMMORTAL’s CD. This was one of the first albums released by Osmose Productions when this label still was «black metal» and didn’t change their tastes to garbage crust-harcore-punk-nigger-shit like DRILLER KILLER and stuff. «Diabolical Fullmoon...» also differs a lot from next IMMORTAL’s output, «Pure Holocaust»; it’s not as fast and chaotic, played more in the mid-tempo while last song «A Perfect Vision Of Rising Northland» (ah, that naive patriotism!) has a duration of nine (!!!) minutes. Can you guys conceive it after listening to stuff like «Battles In The North»?! This song is the best on the whole CD and even features some «clean» «Norse» vocals, the fact which is also worth attention. Drumming could be better, so departure of Armagedda seems to be right move and IMMORTAL only gained by it, I believe. «Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism» is most atmospheric and «Norse» album in IMMORTAL’s discography, as well as most original, at least comparisons with MORBID ANGEL didn’t come to my mind during numerous listenings to this excellent CD. 
 
IMPALED NAZARENE
«Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz»
Osmose Productions (1992)
rating: 5 of 6
I never really liked IMPALED NAZARENE and probably never will, at least «Latex Cult» spawned a feeling of hate towards these Finnish alcoholics inside of me… But things were different back in 1992. I can’t say that this band was one of my favorites then, however «Tol Cormpt…» («You’re all numbered by 666» is the translation, I believe) gave me some good impressions after listening to it. Perhaps, it’s most insane and sick IMPALED NAZARENE’s CD, at least while now. It features eighteen songs and has a duration of approximately 35 minutes, so despite huge number of songs, this CD is quite short. As to music… Well, just look at song-titles! «Goat Perversion», «The God (Symmetry Of Penis)», «The Dog (Art Of Vagina)» – how do you like it, eh??! Yeah, «Tol Cormpt…» is truly SICK effort featuring depraved and blasphemous samples (girl fucking with a goat, etc.), but in the same time most original and various in IMPALED NAZARENE’s discography. I just can’t describe what the music is alike, it’s more than impossible. And if you haven’t heard «Tol Cormpt…» yet, I recommend you to search for it. 
 
MAYHEM
«Pure Fucking Armageddon» (1985)
rating: 0 of 6
Argh, it sucks! If I’m not mistaken, «Pure Fucking Armageddon» was the first demo ever released by MAYHEM when these guys couldn’t even play their so-called «instruments» properly. The cover says that «Pure...» was recorded in some kind of a studio, but I doubt that due to more than non-existent «production». Sometimes it’s almost impossible to listen to this tape... Messiah’s vocals (he is a session member here) do nothing good for the band’s sound. His grindcore growls make all songs even worse than they could be. I guess, this demo evidently shows that MAYHEM became black metal band only in the end of 80’s with appearance of Dead and Hellhamer - before that, neither «Pure Fucking Armageddon», nor «Deathcrush» didn’t show any influences of this style. Both of these shitty releases appeared as dumb, extremely unprofessional, irritating death / grind - nothing more, nothing less. 
P. S. Last year Deathlike Silence / Voices Of Wonder re-released this demo (without any trace of mastering to make sound quality better even a bit) and added unmixed (!) tracks, perhaps to make it absolutely unlistenable release...
 
ROTTING CHRIST
«Passage To Arcturo»
Decapitated Records (1991)
rating: 4 of 6
ROTTING CHRIST have all rights to call themselves as ‘leading black metal band from Greece’ nowadays, in spite of that most original lineup’s members left this group. But «Passage To Arcturo» was released in the days when these guys couldn’t even dream about future deal with Century Media and status of ‘black metal gods’ for lots of people. It was released through Decapitated Records (which later changed their name to Unisound) seven years ago, though «Passage…» still sounds as fresh and exciting MCD. It represents quite primitive black metal with few keyboards here and there and deep, low DM growls. In short, it can be compared to VARATHRON’s first efforts, staying original and splendid album. I don’t know if young black metallers who are totally into CRADLE OF FILTH-alike stuff, would like «Passage…» and honestly I don’t care. Of course, this MCD is not destined for kids, but it will interest those people who really love this music’s genre, especially if they want to know how IT all began (in Greece, in particular).
 
TORMENTOR
«Anno Domini» (1988) 
rating: 5, 5 of 6
Ha, familiar faces! TORMENTOR is the band guided by a guy named Csyhar Attila, who later sang on MAYHEM’s legendary «De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas» and after leaving this band, returned to his native Hungaty and re-formed black / industrial project called PLASMA POOL. But here we have demo tape which was recorded and unleashed long before aforementioned events took their place. TORMENTOR is undoubtedly original band, although comparisons with SEPULTURA’s «Bestial Devastation» couldn’t escape my mind. TORMENTOR surely can be reckoned to ‘classics’ of black metal together with such bands as SODOM, BULLDOZER, DEATH SS, etc. «Anno Domini» captures incredible atmosphere, it’s utterly sincere and honest material, in the same time technical and well-recorded. Needless to add, that Attila possesses one of the greatest voices in black metal… TORMENTOR is outstanding band and «Anno Domini» is almost genius recording. Too bad, that TORMENTOR strike as defunct band now…