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AVULSED
- "Nordic Embryogenesis"
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FUNEBRE
- "Expunging Mortalities"
"One of the very
first choices for this album was, without a doubt, FUNEBRE.
This Finnish band released two demos in 1989 and 1990 before
putting out their only full-length album in 1991, showcasing
a darker, denser, and more oppressive vision of Death Metal
than was common at the time. Their sound exuded a putrid and
sickly atmosphere, with an almost Doom-like aura in places,
clearly influenced by the earliest days of PARADISE LOST,
while remaining firmly rooted in the same territory as bands
like PURTENANCE, ABHORRENCE, and AUTOPSY.
The song we chose, "Expunging
Mortalities", comes from their second demo, released
in 1990, and never made it onto the album. In fact, I have
always felt that this demo represents the true essence of
FUNEBRE far better, capturing all the filth, heaviness, and
darkness that defined the band. Unfortunately, much of that
magic was lost on the album itself, most likely due to the
production by Timo Tolkki, which significantly softened the
band's sound and moved it away from how it should have sounded
in the first place.
Furthermore, vocalist
Jari Heinonen has always been one of my main influences within
Death Metal. Perhaps, when listening to this version and comparing
it to the original, you'll be able to spot some similarities
that I've never tried to hide".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260626_Avulsed-nordic01.html
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CARBONIZED
- "No Canonization"
"The CARBONIZED
cover was another absolute certainty from the very beginning.
There was never any doubt that it had to be included. Ever
since their debut demo in 1989, this band completely blew
my mind, and their follow-up 7"EP "No Canonization" from 1990
was the ultimate culmination of that early sound. Their next
demo and debut album were still very good, but by then they
had already begun shifting towards a more Grind-oriented and
experimental style, a direction they pushed much further on
their second and third albums.
The band featured Matti
Kärki, who would later become the vocalist of DISMEMBER &
CARNAGE after leaving CARBONIZED shortly after this EP. It
also included Lars Rosenberg, who joined ENTOMBED that same
year before later playing with MONASTERY and briefly with
THERION ("Theli"). Following "No Canonization", CARBONIZED
welcomed Christofer Johnsson, mastermind behind THERION and
drummer Piotr Wawrzeniuk, who would also become a member of
THERION for several albums.
What set CARBONIZED
apart from the rest of the Swedish Death Metal scene was their
twisted songwriting and their frantic, highly technical approach,
giving them a personality all of their own. As I mentioned,
later line-up changes led the band into increasingly avant-garde
and psychedelic territory, eventually moving them far away
from the savage Death Metal that made their early recordings
so unique".
En español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260703_Avulsed-nordic02.html
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ADRAMELECH
- "Heroes in Godly Blaze"
"Everyone
knows about my particular fondness for early '90s Finnish
Death Metal, and ADRAMELECH is without a doubt in my personal
top 5. They came from the same town (Loimaa) as DEMIGOD, and
the two bands shared not only one of their members, but also
the artist responsible for their covers, rehearsal space,
and a great friendship between them. I always had a great
friendship with DEMIGOD, but it was especially with ADRAMELECH
that I developed stronger ties. Ever since their second demo,
"Grip of Darkness" from 1992, we've been inseparable
for almost 35 years now!
That same year they
released a 7"EP, but it wasn't until their next demo,
"The Fall" from 1995, that they took a major qualitative
leap forward. I liked it so much that I reissued that demo-cassette
on 3" Mini CD that same year, and also released their
legendary debut "Psychostasia" in 1996. The song
we've covered appears on both recordings. They later released
a great Mini CD entitled "Seven" in 1998, one year
after the famous Repulsive Tour '97 across Europe, which featured
INCANTATION, AVULSED, DEEDS OF FLESH and ADRAMELECH. They
then recorded a second album in 1999 which didn't live up
to expectations at the time (I see it differently now, haha!!),
and eventually decided to re-record and release it themselves.
In 2005, however, I released their final album, which had
actually been recorded in 2002 but had remained hidden away.
ADRAMELECH's style has
quite a few similarities to DEMIGOD's first album, with that
particular way of combining dark melodies with elaborate and
varied Death Metal, although ADRAMELECH were perhaps somewhat
faster. "Psychostasia" is an album I will never
get tired of listening to, and doing a cover of one of their
songs is undoubtedly the most heartfelt tribute of all those
featured on this album".
En español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260821_Avulsed-nordic09.html
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OLD
FUNERAL - "Abduction of Limbs"
"The Norwegian band OLD FUNERAL absolutely drove me
crazy with their second demo, "Abduction of Limbs"
(1990). I must have listened to it thousands of times! Their
style was very different from what was happening in Sweden
or Finland, delivering a sick, twisted, unpredictable, and
ever-changing blend of influences from bands like CARCASS,
MORBID ANGEL and IMMOLATION, but with an even darker and more
sinister atmosphere.
Interestingly, a certain
Olve Eikemo, better known as Abbath, future leader of IMMORTAL,
handled bass and vocals in the band. Even more curious, a
certain Christian, later known worldwide as Varg Vikernes
of BURZUM, played guitar on the 7"EP they recorded a
year after this demo.
OLD FUNERAL never released
a full-length album. As far as I knew back then, they actually
started recording one but never finished it. Some of those
recordings later surfaced on a compilation featuring both
demos, the EP, and a few live tracks, which ultimately became
the complete legacy of this outstanding band.
I wasn't entirely sure
how this cover would turn out, as it's a style quite different
from our own, and deciphering some of the instrumental parts
was a real challenge. But honestly, I think we've achieved
an incredible result!".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260710_Avulsed-nordic03.html
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MACABRE
END - "Spawn of Flesh"
"Some of you may be wondering why we chose to cover
the Swedish band MACABRE END rather than GOD MACABRE, the
name they adopted shortly afterwards. The reason is simple:
this album is mainly focused on the demo years, so we wanted
to revisit their earliest and rawest material. The "Consumed
By Darkness" demo was recorded in 1990 and remixed the
following year, with a few keyboard parts added for its 7"
EP release, although the recordings themselves remained exactly
the same. Just two songs and an intro were enough to make
me a devoted fan.
After that, they changed their
name to GOD MACABRE and recorded another masterpiece: a seven-track
EP that felt more like a full-length album. Shortly afterwards
they split up and never recorded any new material again. It
wasn't until 2013 that they reunited to play a handful of
underground festivals. Fortunately, I've met Per, their vocalist,
several times over the years, and I even had the pleasure
of having him contribute guest vocals on "Deathgeneration".
Their haunting melodies, incredibly
well-crafted songwriting, and above all Per Boder's deep,
unmistakable voice, one of my greatest influences as a vocalist,
gave the band a unique identity within the Swedish Death Metal
scene. It's a shame they never recorded anything else... although,
considering how many bands radically changed their style during
those years, perhaps it's better that they left behind such
a flawless legacy".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260716_Avulsed-nordic04.html
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AMPUTATION
- "Heavenly Grace"
"Norway never had a particularly prolific Death Metal
scene, as although a few bands emerged between '89 and '90,
almost all of them quickly jumped on the Black Metal bandwagon
in '91, something that never really happened in the rest of
the Nordic countries. It was a sudden trend that wiped out
what little Death Metal scene there was. AMPUTATION are a
perfect example, having released two demos in '89 and '90
before Abbath and Demonaz decided to form IMMORTAL together
with the drummer, who went on to play guitar on the first
demo. Their close ties with OLD FUNERAL meant that members
of those bands, AMPUTATION and IMMORTAL kept rotating between
them, creating a real mess of comings, goings and collaborations
between the three, haha!!
The song we're covering
here comes from their 2nd and final demo from 1990, which
contained only two tracks, but they had a darkness, heaviness
and intensity that drove me crazy, despite the poor sound
quality. Let's say they were some kind of IMMOLATION (they
even copied their logo), although somewhat more primitive
and savage. If you listen to that demo on YouTube, you'll
realize what a real challenge it was, especially for Alejandro
Lobo, to figure out what the hell was going on there, haha!!
Deciphering the phonetics of the vocals was also a delicate
job. This really has been a true disemtombment, because the
sound seemed to be coming from underground, haha!!
I wasn't really sure
what we would end up achieving here, but the result has been
incredible. We brought out the intensity and darkness of the
song while keeping, I think, the spirit of the original, but
with everything in its place and with a more "audible"
sound. AMPUTATION left behind only two demos of primitive
Death Metal that never received much recognition, mainly because
what came afterwards, IMMORTAL, overshadowed everything".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260828_Avulsed-nordic10.html
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CARTILAGE
- "Why Do I Watch the Dawn?"
"Not everything coming out of Finland was dark and
heavy Death Metal, which was perhaps what attracted me the
most to that scene, over the Swedish one, where many bands
tended to sound much more alike. A perfect example of Finland's
diversity was CARTILAGE, who combined intense, twisted and
highly structured Death Metal with beautifully crafted melodies
and, above all, the incredible drumming of a very young Kai
Hahto, who would later go on to play in bands such as ROTTEN
SOUND, WINTERSUN, NIGHTWISH, and many others. His technique
was far beyond what you would expect from an 18-year-old back
then, when the influences and learning resources available
were nothing like they are today.
Although their second
demo, "In Godly Flesh" (1991), is one of my favourite
recordings from the entire Finnish scene, I decided to choose
this particular song, which appeared on their 1992 split album
with the Swedish band ALTAR. In fact, those five tracks were
originally intended to become their third demo, but I was
the one who suggested releasing them as a split, since ALTAR
had also just recorded their third demo, and putting out another
EP felt a bit too short. In the end, it became one of the
most highly regarded split albums of that era. This song also
featured a spoken section in the middle, which I wasn't quite
sure how to approach at first, but I think I eventually managed
to pull it off quite convincingly.
Unfortunately, after
that recording, CARTILAGE joined the long list of bands that
never went on to record a full-length album. I'm convinced
it would have become one of the true classics of Finnish Death
Metal. I have absolutely no doubt about that. The musicians
later went on to play in bands such as VOMITURITION and ENOCHIAN
CRESCENT, among many others".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260807_Avulsed-nordic07.html
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ABHOTH
- "Recantetion of the Forsaken"
"Perhaps ABHOTH are one of the lesser-known bands
featured on this covers album, but that certainly doesn't
make them any less brilliant! This is another one of those
bands that never managed to release a full-length album, unfortunately,
leaving behind just three demos and a 7"EP during their
barely five-year existence. Well, a year before becoming ABHOTH
they had another name, and years later they adopted yet another
one, although honestly, I have no idea what they were doing
during those periods.
What really mattered to me
was their second demo from 1991, titled "Forever to Be
Vanished There In". Despite having only three tracks,
this demo drove me crazy. I listened to it endlessly on my
Walkman, and what set them apart somewhat from the rest was
that, besides that obvious Swedish Death Metal influence,
they also drew quite heavily from DEATH, and I found that
combination particularly interesting. Their following 7"EP
from 1992 was very good, but honestly, I never felt it surpassed
the level of this demo.
As a curiosity, the vocalist
on their first demo from 1989 later joined AFFLICTED, while
drummer Jonas Stålhammar went on to play guitar in MACABRE
END/GOD MACABRE, UTUMNO, AT THE GATES and countless other
bands. Their guitarist Jörgen Kristensen is currently
a member of CENTINEX and has also played in bands such as
GOD MACABRE and SUFFER, among others. The other members have
also been involved in numerous bands, among which I would
highlight GODHATE and DEAD AWAKEN".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260814_Avulsed-nordic08.html
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PHLEGETHON
- "Female Sabbath"
"We're back in Finland with one of the most challenging
songs of the whole project, not only because it's 7 minutes
long, but also due to its complex structures, constant tempo
changes and... fuck, it felt like it was never going to end,
haha! This track comes from "Neutral Forest", the
second demo recorded in 1990 by the Finnish band PHLEGETHON.
Their first demo was excellent, with a rawer and wilder style,
but I think it was on this second one that the band reached
its compositional peak. This song is almost like two songs
in one. It has everything: intensity, melody, aggression,
brutality and atmosphere...
This demo was an absolute gem,
and what struck me the most were the band photos. The members
were barely 16 years old, which means they had started the
band when they were only 14! Even so, they already showed
an incredible ability to write songs, generally long, full
of nuances and quite different from what was happening in
Finland at the time, partly thanks to the strong Thrash influence
running through their compositions.
After these two demos they
recorded an EP in 1991 that kept the same high standard, but
in 1995 they released another demo that drifted somewhat away
from their original style, and shortly afterwards the band
split up. In 2005, Lasse Pyykkö, the mastermind behind
HOODED MENACE, recorded two demos and a few standalone tracks
under the PHLEGETHON name, although the band never truly reunited.
Even so, PHLEGETHON remains one of my all-time favourite Finnish
Death Metal bands, and "Neutral Forest" is still
an absolute classic that I never get tired of listening to".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260724_Avulsed-nordic05.html
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CREMATORY
- "The Exordium"
"One of the most brutal bands in the Swedish scene, without
a doubt, was CREMATORY. Although they had already recorded
a single track in 1989, "The Exordium" can really
be considered their first proper demo, featuring four songs
and an absolutely crushing sound. While most other bands were
obsessed with following the path laid down by NIHILIST (ENTOMBED),
DISMEMBER and CARNAGE, and, almost simultaneously, GROTESQUE
(AT THE GATES) on the other side of the country, CREMATORY
opted for a blend of Death Metal with almost Grind-like touches
during their most chaotic moments, all wrapped in an ultra-heavy
sound that placed them closer to bands like FUNEBRE, ROTTREVORE,
ABHORRENCE or GRAVE.
Stefan Harrvik's vocals, who
also sang on NECROPHOBIC's second demo and their subsequent
EP, were simply monstrous and made him one of my favourite
vocalists and, of course, one of my main influences. So, alongside
the singers from FUNEBRE and GOD MACABRE, here you have some
of the vocalists who had the greatest impact on shaping my
own style. There were certainly others, but these were among
the most important. The other three members would later go
on to REGURGITATE, leaving only guitarist Urban Skitt, who,
together with drummer Mats Nordrup, currently plays in GENERAL
SURGERY.
I'm well aware that CREMATORY's
most popular demo is the following one, "Wrath From the
Unknown", which I also absolutely love. But this project
isn't about choosing the songs everyone would expect or want
to hear, it's about picking the ones that mean the most to
me. And this first demo was truly mind-blowing, with a dense
sound, a certain sense of chaos and an overwhelming filth
that are precisely what give it such a brutally unique atmosphere.
Unfortunately, after releasing a third demo and an EP in 1992,
the band split up and never reunited".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260731_Avulsed-nordic06.html
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ABHORRENCE
- "Pestilential Mists"
"The last of the covers comes from Finland. Just as
ENTOMBED had their little history under the name NIHILIST
before changing their name, AMORPHIS also had theirs under
the name ABHORRENCE, releasing a demo in '90 and a 7"EP
before changing their name and recording another demo and
several tracks for a failed split album with INCANTATION that
same year, now under their new name. The style was basically
the same before gradually evolving towards what would become
their debut album in '92, when they began moving towards a
more melodic style, although they still retained their heavy
Death Metal foundation.
Needless to say, that
ABHORRENCE demo and 7"EP were among the most brutal and
aberrant things coming out of Finland. That filthy, ultra-thick
sound, along with those guttural vocals, was out of this world.
Fucking amazing!! I even remember seeing them live in August
1992, in the classroom of a small school in Joensuu (in the
west of the country, almost in Russia), where they played
alongside bands like BEHERIT, PHLEGETHON, DISGRACE, MORDICUS,
UNHOLY... At the time, they still hadn't released their first
album and already had a live keyboard player, but fuck, seeing
that was indescribable!
The song chosen belongs
to the '90 7"EP, which featured a more controlled and
defined sound than their first demo. This cover is, along
with those of CREMATORY and FUNEBRE, undoubtedly one of the
heaviest and densest of all the ones included on this compilation.
The guitar sound we've achieved here is absolutely brutal,
and that mixture of almost Grind parts with heavy mid-tempo
passages creates a contrast that could only emerge so spontaneously
and brilliantly when you were a kid and the rules about what
could and couldn't be done weren't yet defined (according
to purists)".
En
español: http://www.xtreemmusic.com/promo/20260904_Avulsed-nordic11.html
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