UMUR
"Demo 1986" is the second demo by US, Florida based death metal act Xecutioner. The demo was independently released in 1986 and was Recorded at Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida. As a result the material features a professional studio sound production.
Listening to the two tracks on the 5:05 minutes long demo it´s hard not to be amazed by how much the band have changed and developed their sound since the thrash/speed metal found on their 1985 demo "Metal Up Your Ass". "Find the Arise" and "Live Like the Dead", may retain some of the the most dark and brutal thrash metal moments of the material on "Metal Up Your Ass", but Xecutioner now play death metal with John Tardy growling in his distinct sounding vocal style. It´s some of the earliest recordings featuring death metal growling, and not just raw and brutal thrash metal snarling.
The riffs are heavy with a fat distorted tone and the drums are even heavier. Add to that the growling vocals and the blistering screaming guitar solos (Allen West had joined since the last demo), and this sounds exactly how Obituary would sound in 1989 on their debut album "Slowly We Rot", although none of the tracks from this demo were originally featured on the album. "Find the Arise" would be re-recorded and included on Obituary´s second full-length studio album "Cause of Death" (1991), but "Live Like the Dead" is exclusive to this release (although both demo tracks have since been included as bonus material on reissues of "Slowly We Rot"). A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.