Vehemency
”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” is a nice starting point for the first era of Deathspell Omega, before the evident change in both musical and lyrical aspect. On this first demo, that later appeared on the first album ”Infernal Battles” (and how I managed to get a hold of these songs - no way I possess the original, limited demo), Deathspell Omega plays ruthless black metal in the very same vein they continued until 2004: brutal and straight-forward Satanic black metal with minor melancholic leanings every now and then. On this demo there are even some thrash metal influences, as the main riffs of ”The Ancient Presence Revealed” tell.
The demo is often criticized due to the low sound quality, and it ultimately is low and very rehearsal-like, but every instrument is audible so I don’t have a problem with it. Not that the production values are perfect here, no: I do prefer the more clear yet still utterly cold and raw sound of ”Inquisitors of Satan” where all the instruments have more power. On ”Disicples of the Ultimate Void”, the instruments are one big mass of filth where you can still discern everything well enough. Musically, the band’s technical abilities are of same quality as on the next few albums (which means that the band plays tightly but doesn’t dwell in unnecessary gimmicks), it is only the production where ”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” differs. Thus it’s ultimately the cold, black atmosphere that makes the demo worthy.
If you’re looking forward to explore the music that Deathspell Omega provided during its first years, ”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” isn’t perhaps the best to start with - I would go with the aforementioned ”Inquisitors of Satan” and ”Manifestations 2002” to witness Deathspell Omega at their best before 2004. And if you have the guts to tackle those albums, then do go for ”Infernal Battles” to get a hold of these songs, too, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking: Deathspell Omega was in its infancy on this demo, and showed a lot more potential and originality later.