UMUR
"Rehearsal Demo 1" is the first demo recording by Finnish death metal act Demigod. The demo was independently released in November 1990. Demigod formed in 1990 and had their original run from 1990-1994 (they´ve reunited and have split-up again a couple of times since). They released quite a few demos and their debut full-length studio album "Slumber of Sullen Eyes" (Drowned Productions, November 1992) before disbanding.
The demo features 4 tracks and a total playing time of 18:04 minutes. Stylistically Demigod at this point play a relatively standard old school Scandinavian death metal style. It´s nothing out of the ordinary, and not surprisingly since this is a 1990 death metal rehearsal demo the sound quality is pretty murky, noisy, and distorted. The band also sound a little immature and the vocals are closer to raw hoarse shouting than real death metal growling. None of the material from this demo would survive and be included in re-recorded form on "Slumber of Sullen Eyes". "Reincarnation" would however be re-arranged and re-recorded, and subsequently included on the early 1991 demo "Unholy Domain".
Upon conclusion "Rehearsal Demo 1" is not a particularly interesting release. The sound quality is murky, raw, and unpolished to the point where it´s hard on the ears, the songwriting is immature, although you can hear promise, and the band who are otherwise relatively well playing, also still needed to hone their skills a little more. A 2 star (40%) rating is warranted.