This hellish demo was unleashed upon us by two unholy maniacs, namely Emil (guitar, bass & vocals) and Rikard (drums & vocals). At once I should mention that ILL-NATURED cultivates & supports the old-school Thrash/Death Metal movement in its 7-song demo stuff. On one hand, they do something similar to PENTACLE, i.e. about a big respect to the heritage of such bands as HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST. Just check out their great cover version of CELTIC FROST's "Circle of the Tyrants" and you'll understand what I am talking about. On the other hand, the approach of ILL-NATURED is quite different from the usual retro band's attitude as they combine lots of extreme & aggressive parts in their music (like BESTIAL MOCKERY, for example). I mean the grinding drumming and ultra crazy vocals here. Songs like "Osculum Infame" and "Die by the Axe" can kill very well with their frightful vocalizing. To all this you can add a fair sound of instruments, a good packaging as well as some really splendid lyrics. Fans of the old Black & Thrash Metal should check this evil stuff. The axe has spoken!!!

Are you craving for a technical, blasting and yet melodic Death Metal stuff? If so, then IN EXTREMIS is the band you searched for. Their 4-song demo will definitely please you. The band features Stas on vocals, Stridor & Fred on guitars, Pull on bass, Goroh on drums and A. Birkun on keyboards. As you see they operate with keyboards as well. Anyway, those keyboard parts are so different from the nowadays-popular DIMMU BORGIR type of clichés that I even recommend you to check them out on "Perception of Fate". They add some dark and mysterious touch to their compositions. I can pick up such great songs as "Strange Morning" or "Clean of Light", which are ready to crush your mind by their intense guitar riffs and destroying, unfortunately, drum-machine parts. Good work with good membership!

INCEST presents us four songs of technical yet brutal Death Metal in a quite original interpretation. The band features Ed on vocals, Serge on guitars, Rus on bass and Max on drums. These four guys know how to play blasting, full speed ahead Death Metal tunes without the loss of melodies and complexity. They masterfully handle their instruments as well, creating an awesome atmosphere on the whole promo. I see a bright future for this quartet even if their vocalist growls in Russian language. Killer stuff!

INSISION plays technical and brutal US-Death Metal in the vein of SUFFOCATION, CRYPTOPSY and IMMOLATION. Enclosed are 4 songs of ultra killer brutality with a superb sound production! Mass extermination at it's best! There's no way to hide from their dynamic guitar-riffing, blasting double bass attacks and extra deep growling madness. Powerful and devastating as US Death Metal always meant to be. The band builds up from the deadly-forces of Carl Birath (vocals), Roger Johansson (guitars), Daniel Ekeroth (bass) and Thomas Daun (drums). I warmly advise for all Death/Grind freaks to check this great band out! Preferred tracks: "Ex Oblivion", "Entangled in Thorns". By the way, INSISION's "The Dead Live On" MCD '99 is still available for $10! Get in touch with 'em if you want to have your own copy.

This Belarus act delivers us 6 tracks in a quite raw but technical form of Death/Black Metal. On this record their line-up was Alex (guitars), Blacked (guitars/vocals) plus two guest musicians, namely Raven (keyboards - from DEATHSAINT) and Roman Scherbinsky (bass). I should say their songs have been accomplished in a very tasteful yet precise way that speaks about the seriousness of the band-members towards their creativity. Among the usual piles of melodic riff-structures you'll bump into a bunch of great acoustic inclusions and fantastic solos there. To keep their music as varied as possible they even involved some ass-kicking Heavy and Thrash Metal riffs as well. They managed to create some really harmonic and tuneful compositions there. So I am about to recommend you this circa 31 minutes stuff even if the drum-machine sounds a bit ear-annoying at times. Preferred tracks: "Third Eye" and "Mystic".

Here comes the debut demo of sadistic Gore/Black masters KRVESTREB. There are 3 mad butchers behind this unearthly creation, namely Bugra Toksoy (vocals), Halit Güngör (lead guitar) and Onur Karsli (rhythm guitar). Well, "The Ultimate Sadizm" includes 4 disgusting grind-influenced tracks and a short horror-like intro. To be more detailed I can say that their songs are about violating screams, chainsaw guitar sound, blasting drum parts and tormenting atmosphere in general. They do something similar to IMPALED NAZARENE. But you can find there some very-well executed solos too, which are simply great in my opinion. Really impressive stuff so to say! Keep it in this way! To order this circa 20 minutes long hell you should get in touch with Bugra!

Porno grind freaks attention! This stuff is definitely for you. You can get acquainted with 6 crazy songs full of fast grinding drumming, overbrutalized guitar riffs, insane vocalizing and some bizarre effects done by a special team of "Hot Girls". Besides this sexy "team" there are four sex-maniacs as well, namely Replikant (intergalactic vocals), Sugus (guitars), Epidem (bass) and Doktor (drums). Are you ready for something like that? Yeah! Then go ahead and buy your copy now!

The new album of LUNATIC GODS became rather monumental and the most mature one in the band's history. It's so varied that I don't even know how to start its reviewing. It's just fantastic to hear a band with so open-minded attitude. Musically there's a well-guessed combination from almost all the styles of the so-called Metal arsenal. So I am sure that you won't be bored during their 56 minutes long stuff. By the way after some minor changes their line-up looks as follows: Hirax (guitar), Psycho (drums), Horár (vocals), Emil (vocals), Richard (bass) and Lucy (keyboards). There are 13 well-structured songs mainly armored by the ingredients of Death/Thrash/Black/Doom styles; though this time the classic, atmospheric and yet symphonic kind of components got even a bigger role than on "Sitting by the Fire" (1998) album. Moreover I noticed that the band-members mix these styles all along with an incredible ease. The soloing work of Hirax is cool as always, while his riffs come in a very elaborated way. Regarding Psycho I should say that he's a quite skilled drummer as he able to play every kind of patterns be it complex jazzy one or crushing grind part. Concerning the vocal parts of Emil and Horár I can say the same as they've been executed rather thoughtfully. You can enjoy their contributions in the embodiment of deep growls, high-pitched screams, crystal-clear vocals and even operatic singing. The album disposes of a great solid bass base that was Richard's merit, of course. Finally some words about Lucy's keyboard lines. They've been really thoughtfully worked-out and arranged to be honest. The atmosphere in such songs as "Show Me Your Soul", "The Stone" or "The Wilderness" to name a few just speaks for itself. Another interesting thing is the clever involvement of exotic accompanying instruments (sitar, didgeridoo, drumbl'a) in a few songs. Accordingly increased the amount of eastern-based melodies per songs as well, which is a good step ahead I think. To all the said before just add a top quality sound production and the masterpiece is ready. Metal fans all over the world can check this masterpiece out. LUNATIC GODS will definitely please your taste. Preferred tracks: "The Tormenting World" and "Confounded in Dust of Sin".

Canada's most bizarre and cult-status Black/Death Metal band LUST opens this special split release. Their stuff contains 6 evil & torturing Black Metal songs recorded live in 1998. The necromantic warriors of LUST are Sabazios Diabolus (axe grinding, putrid vomiting), Genocide Lord (black death bulldozer) & Inferno (artillery, throat cancer). This demonic trio created an awesome yet hellish atmosphere during their violent tunes. Ultra sick vocals, chaotic drumming and sharp as blade guitar riffs are the peculiarities of LUST's repertory. The only objection as for me goes to the noisy sound production, which makes their stuff a bit unenjoyable. Anyway that's the point of the underground, isn't it? Recommended! Swedish BESTIAL MOCKERY continues the split with 11 gut-ripping old-school Thrash-motivated Black Metal songs recorded live in 1998 at two different places. The bestiary on this record was the following: Master Motorsåg (bleeding ulcer & chainsaw incarantions), Doomanfanger (666 strings maniac & naked vomit outbursts), Sir Torment (bass) & Warslaughter (atomic deathstrikes & shit for brains). These bastards of hell proved again their capability to create something outstanding and gruesome. They sound pretty original (especially when they use a chainsaw as an accompanying instrument, ha-ha...) yet extremely raw on these live recordings. Such songs like "Chainsaw Enforcer", "Possessed with Erection", "Chainsaw Demons Return" or the merciless "Shrapnel Fire" will make your ears definitely bleeding. In a word supreme sonic suffering is guaranteed!

Hungarian MALEDICTION offers us 7 songs in the old-school vein of Death Metal. Their line-up consists of Zoltán Terdik (vocals, acoustic guitar), Zoltán Péter (guitars), Ákos Várhalmi (guitars), András Gábor (bass) and József Képesi (drums). The sound quality is good enough, but I am not into the sound of the double bass at all. They're too weak for my taste. Anyway, the rest of instruments are well audible and enjoyable. Their songs are mainly based on crushing guitar riffs and storming drum parts, something similar to early CANNIBAL CORPSE, but not entirely after all, 'cause here we have more melodies and lots of clear-vocal operations. By the way, the vocal parts fluctuate from deep growls to high-pitched screams and shrieks in general. There's also a medieval-like instrumental song played on acoustic guitar, which is rather interesting. Not bad stuff at all, though I advise to change the vocalist's manner, especially it goes to his clear vocals.

In the debut material of this Alchevsk-based Black Metal horde you can greet the Ukrainian DIMMU BORGIR. They successfully copied the aforementioned band's "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" album and added almost nothing original to their own music. Even the overall atmosphere and the guitars' sound are the same too. And to all this you can imagine a miserable drum-machine sound and a less professional sound quality in general. This material is full of clichés.

This is the new 3-song demo of the masterful psycho-penetrators from Ukraine. Their line-up composes of Fester (guitar/screams), Tom Grinder (drums), Pinky (guitar/growls), Old (roar) and S. Vitkovsky (bass). "Credo Quia Absurdum..?" displays a big step and progression (in the strictest sense of the word) in the band's career. "Spiritual Atavism Absurd" opens the repertory with its complex guitar riffs, varied growling/screaming vocal parts, blasting drumming and artful bass lines. It has a rather abstract soloing work as well. The second song "Collective Obtrusive Neurosis" is about to crush your mind and bury all that is left by the intense brutality and mid-paced riff-massacres coming from inside of it. The last track "Senseless Saint (Prophet Mattoid)" is my favorite tune. It combines a lot of fast grinding beats, massive guitar riffs and merciless vocalizing at it's best. In a word, MENTAL DEMISE undoubtedly remained one of the most brutal yet progressive Death Metal bands out from the Ukraine. This stuff is a killer masterpiece!

Nine tracks of ultra brutal Gore/Grind music waiting for you on M.F.'s "Carnal Knowledge" stuff. The trio combines from Dmitry Sereda (vocals/guitar), Vladimir Srebrenets (bass) and Dmitry Karlov (drums). It seems to me that the band's main aim was to play as fast as possible. They've done it, though sacrificed the accuracy of playing for it. It's just chaotic. You'll bump into blasting drumming, funny guitar parts and rather short tunes there. Recommended for die-hard Gore/Grind freaks exclusively.

On this split release you can get impressed first by 15 crazy Gore/Grind songs of the Nezhin-based M.F. They follow the chaotic grinding way of "Carnal Knowledge" material. Their line-up changed a bit and it seems like some of the former musicians are changed their instruments as well. So now D. Sereda plays on drums and does some backing vocals, while V. Srebrenets responsible for the guitar parts and the new guy S. Ostapenko plays the bass lines plus executes the insane growls. Maximum gore assault! To all this you can add a well-covered AGATHOCLES song, which is called "A Start at Least". IMHOTEP follows the bloodbath with 3 ass-kicking Death Metal tunes. This band was strongly influenced by the albums of CANNIBAL CORPSE (music-wise) and DEEDS OF FLESH (intro-wise). Everything is done on a high level with accuracy. So you can expect a professional brutality in their songs. Their line-up gathers such persons as Anubis (vocals), Voland (guitar), Zhenia (guitar), Vatek (bass) and Flesh (drums). Preferred tracks: "Devil Descended upon the Earth" and "The Bloody Execution". Order this killer split release before it's too late.

MOON OF SOUL plays progressive kind of Thrash Metal with big dose of modern hardcore influences. The demo includes 6 experimental pieces with lyrics in Hungarian language. Interesting thing that their drummer tries to bring as more jazz elements as possible, though it's all right with the experimental type of bands I think, isn't it? Good mix, complex tunes and a pro-done tape await the ones who love the unordinary kind of Metal.

Well-played technical Death Metal is what MORTEMIRUS going to share with us on this demo tape. The recording isn't the best being recorded live, I suppose in the band's rehearsal room. Anyway, all the instruments are well audible and the overall sound is enough tolerable too. Let's see what we have here. There are 5 tracks full of complex guitar riffs, lots of rhythm changes, breaks and rather raw growling vocals. I would say all these songs have quite varied structures including slow, fast and mid-paced parts, respectively. Preferred tracks: "Suffer the Flesh", "Die in Hell" and "The Viscious Beauty". By the way, the latter one being overloaded with an unbelievable amount of melodies and harmonies is dedicated to the great Death/Grind masters CARCASS. Maniacs into technical yet melodic Death Metal are encouraged to check this stuff out!

This Russian Death Metal band was formed in 1996. After numerous changes in their line-up the band splits up in 1998. Just a year later they decided to reunion in the following line-up: Jeff (guitar), Fox (guitar), McDie (vocals), Axen (bass) and White (drums). "Nihil Pathologicum" has 6 well-constructed songs in the Death/Thrash style. Their music is definitely a guitar-oriented one and I like it very much. Although they told me this demo isn't a finished product yet, I can restfully say it's enjoyable. The only bad thing I could complain on is in the loudness of vocals that pushed back a bit all the instruments here and there. Well, maybe I have to say that they used a drum-machine as well, which sounds rather naturally. I would say it's a decent material, in spite of some SLAYER-like riffs in the songs as "Post Mortal Defecation", "Necrophagous Children" and "Bacterial Decompose". All in all, if you like complex & guitar-centric Death/Thrash Metal with cool ideas then this stuff is surely for you!

Originally this stuff was meant to be out on a record label, but later on the band decided to release it as a self-financed one instead. On this record the band consists of Davide (vocals), Ivo (bass), Luca (guitar), Marcello (guitar) and Matteo (drums). "Shadows Weaver" includes six melodic yet jazz-influenced Death Metal compositions. I would say with this stuff they entered to the category that is called "progressive". Lots of fusion-like motives and complex riff-structures adorn their songs. There's a great variation of different vocal parts there as well. The instrument handling is also remarkable. Nevertheless, their repertory still reminded me the classical AT THE GATES line here and there, which I found really exciting to be honest, because NIGHTSIDE is not trying to be a copy of them. On the contrary, they do a big emphasis on creating their own original style. Indeed, I picked up a lot of innovative elements in "Shadows Weaver" and with time they'll definitely become the fundamental ones in their own style. So to say it's a decent material, which I can warmly recommend for fans of progressive as well as for fans of ordinary Death Metal! Buy it!

Another good compilation tape, which contains 15 bands on 90 minutes tape, unfortunately, with minimal information about them. The bands are as follows: EVTHANAZIA, IZAKARON, FORGOTTEN SILENCE, PHANTASMAGORY, SANCTIMONY, INWARD PATH, NAHASH, HOSPICE, HERESIARH, MISCREANT, APOCRYPHAL, FALL OF THE LEAFE, DISSIMULATION, CASTRUM and SANATORIUM. As you see "Story II" covers a wide range of underground bands. I think this tape isn't available anymore, but as far as it's a great one, I advise you to contact Ancient Lakes Productions!

TEMPLE OF OBLIVION plays drawling Doom Metal at its finest sense. "Dreamscapes" has 5 sorrowful songs plus intro/outro that sound-wise reminded me a funeral-like atmosphere. The members are Vadim Egorenkov (vocals/guitar), Alexander Ulanov (flute/keyboards), Alexander Chernyavsky (bass/vocals), Evgeny Vecher (guitar) and Vyacheslav Kapusta (drums). Slow guitar parts, deep growls, melancholic melodies and sadness that surround you all the way. Preferred tracks are "At Will of Creator" and "Tears of Gods".

On this 7-track promo the band follows the same musical line as it was on "Dreamscapes" (the line-up remained the same as well). The only change that ensued there, in my opinion, is in the use of varied vocal parts through the entire material. If you like long yet rather slow doomy compositions imbued by the spiritual sadness of these 5 doomsayers, then this is what you are searching for. And now enter the temple of oblivion and forget all your daily problems. Recently TEMPLE OF OBLIVION ceased its existence for the sake of MOURNFUL GUST, which has some T.O.O. members in its line-up as well. Their debut album, called "She's My Grief", was out a while on Ukrainian Metal Force Records.

TESSARACT's latest demo opens this split tape. The four-man horde - Roman Deev (screams & growls), Alexander Belotzerkovskiy (guitars), Yuriy Volkov (bass) and Konstantin Zmievskiy (drums) - delivers us their well-tested Swedish-styled Death Metal. Nevertheless, their new compositions became more melodic and energetic at the same time. I guess it's due to their new guitarist Alexander, while their former guitarist Yuriy switched to bass. After the cool effect-based intro called "Regression Grows" we have 6 catchy Death Metal tunes plus an outro kept in the old-school Swedish line. Though the first two ones are actually re-recorded old tracks, namely "Fatal Invocation" from their demo '92 and "Sudden Outcome" from their "End of Depression" album 2000. Fortunately they've got a pretty different interpretation here. Then we have 4 indeed new tracks: "Prepare Yourself for the End", "Through the Sees... (of Bitterness)", "Sanity Simulation" and "Don't Trust". The band managed to accomplish 'em in a very polished way with lots of remarkable solos, groovy guitar riffs, soft bass links and tuneful drum patterns. And as a logical end we have a short sample-motivated outro called "Intimidation". The ones who crave for a comparison I can say that "A Sudden Outcome" sounds like a mixture between DISMEMBER's "Massive Killing Capacity" and "Like an Everflowing Stream" albums. That's a good Death Metal stuff! So the die-hard fans of Swedish Death Metal are more than encouraged to have this item in their collections! Well, on the other side of the tape we have the 5 songs of "Extreme Neurotic Depression" demo '95. They sound really raw and brutal at times. Back then the band consisted of Vladislav Polosuhin (growls), Georgiy Logvinov (lead guitar), Yuriy Volkov (rhythm guitar), Evgeniy Pavlov (bass) and Konstantin Zmievskiy (drums). In 1995 their music was strongly influenced by NAPALM DEATH, besides the Swedish Death Metal bands, of course. So you'll get some fast grinding tunes too. By the way, the last track "Dance Macabre" being recorded live represents how underground was a Death Metal gig at that times. In a word, this demo stuff gives us a historical insight into the band's early days. Recommended!

This promo tape represents 3 classic-music-influenced Black Metal tunes from the Kaliningrad-based TVANGESTE. They masterfully handle their instruments, especially the keyboard-player. Stylistically I can compare their music to the early OLD MAN'S CHILD albums, though TVANGESTE placed the so-called symphonic kind of Black Metal even to a higher level. Decorated by breath-taking solos, ultra melodic guitar riffs, enchanting operatic female vocals and maximally balanced sound they managed to step over the primitive Black Metal bounds and entered to a superior kind of dimension. This dimension is the purest essence of the art in itself. A must for fans of sympho-Black Metal!

You can expect emotional folklore-influenced Black Metal in the 2 songs of VAST FOREST. These songs have been rather well structured featuring some very good Death Metal parts too, though keyboards and high-pitched blackish screams are the dominant in their repertory. "Dying Eternity" starts the tape, which is a mid-paced yet catchy tune with lots of usual keyboard parts and with a kind of melodic Black Metal attitude. The second one "Among the Emptiness" displays even a more technical approach of VAST FOREST, but unfortunately those technical parts appear only for a few seconds. The demo has a good sound and comes with a b/w cover.

This 4-song demo is simply great! It was executed by three unholy blacksters from Hungary, namely Winterlord (all guitars), Mordred (drums) and Angmar (vocals). What a cold atmosphere characterizes this demo. Totally old-school-oriented Black Metal is what we have here. If you go back to the 1992-1993 era, when bands as DARKTHRONE or IMMORTAL defined the second generation Black Metal style, you'll know what I'm talking about. Fast, merciless yet chainsaw-like guitar riffs, frozen screams and non-stop drumming that's WITCHCRAFT in some words. This demo was definitely done with pure Black Metal spirit. Fans of Norwegian-type of Black Metal should get their hands on this masterwork!

Do you like crazy psychedelic mixture of Metal? Well, I hope so, because X,Y,Z stands for total brain-annihilation in this 4-song stuff. Innovative, cacophonous, experimental, jazz-influenced progressive Death Metal is what X,Y,Z offers you here. Go and get it if you want to experience some strange musical solutions built in the basic elements of Metal style!