ANATHEMA — Demo II (review)

ANATHEMA — Demo II album cover Demo · 1991 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Demo II" is the second demo cassette tape release by Finnish death metal act Anathema. It succeeds the band´s early 1991 promo tape and it was released in May 1991. It would be the band´s last release as they split-up shortly after the release of the demo. The four tracks from this demo were included on the 2015 Anathema compilation album "Demo Tapes 1990-1991", along with the two tracks from the 1991 promo tape, and two unreleased demo tracks recorded in December 1990 by pre-Anathema band Funeration (which are actually early renditions of "Perdition" and "First Symptoms of Rotting" from this demo).

The material on this demo continue the filthy, murky, an morbid sounding old school death metal style of the early 1991 promo tape, but this demo is darker, murkier, and even more gloomy and doomy (although the band also play faster on occasion). The growling vocals have also changed towards a more unintelligible phlegmatic juicy growl (which almost sound like they are spoken into the microphone). This rather vile sounding sludgy vocal style and the occasionally non-tuned guitars provide the music with a raw and authentic atmosphere.

The sound production is pretty raw and lo-fi but ultimately suits the unpolished nature of the material. Of course this is far from studio album sound quality, but there´s still something greatly charming about these recordings. A 3 star (60%) is warranted.
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