DEMILICH — Nespithe (review)

Album · 1993 · Death Metal

4/5 · 2011-10-13
UMUR

"Nespithe" is the debut full-length studio album by Finnish death metal act Demilich. The album was released in February 1993 by Necropolis Records. The album has long been out of print but Demilich have made the album available for free in digital form on their official website along with all their demos.

The music on "Nespithe" is technical, twisted and quite odd sounding death metal. The odd part of the description is mostly due to the very distinct sounding vocal delivery. Instead of having "regular" growling vocals in the music Demilich deliver a kinda juicy and burping vocal style. The vocals are similar to some of the juicy growling vocals on the first two Carcass albums. The difference is that the burping vocals on "Nespithe" are not complimentet by a higher pitched aggressive sneer. To be honest I couldn´t stop laughing the first couple of times I listened to "Nespithe". The vocals simply sounded so silly and I couldn´t take them serious at all. I still see them as a kinda humourous element in the music but I´ve grown to somewhat appreciate the innovative idea behind the choice of vocal style and oddly enough also the vocal style itself. I guess you can get used to a lot of things by trying hard enough or maybe some things simply take a long time to understand and appreciate. Well...consider yourself warned. This might be THE primary example of aquired taste.

...the reason why I´ve returned to "Nespithe" so many times despite my initial response to the vocals, is because the instrumental part of the music is intriguing to say the least. I like the fact that the music is technical in an old school death metal fashion. There´s a twisted and original take on how to play death metal on "Nespithe" that´s admirable IMO. Demilich clearly don´t follow any particular style or influence and as a consequence they sound very much like themselves. Their extremely long and oddly titled songtitles further adds to the innovative nature of the music. How about: "The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)" or "The Planet That Once Used to Absorb Flesh in Order to Achieve Divinity and Immortality (Suffocated to the Flesh That It Desired...)". Now that´s what I call songtitles!

The sound production is organic and gritty but still clear enough for the listener to hear all instruments in the mix. The sound suits the music perfectly.

"Nespithe" is probably one of the most original death metal albums out there. Demilich sadly folded before releasing a successor because I´m sure they would have kept releasing some really innovative music had they continued. "Nespithe" is a testament they can be proud of though and I think even those who can´t stand the odd burping vocals will have to admit that "Nespithe" is a very original release. We need more boundary crushers in this world IMO and even though experiments like these are often an aquired taste, it´s albums like this one that also makes people discuss and talk about music. All those faceless followers will be forgotten tomorrow but an album like "Nespithe" is an underground classic, that is still hailed and praised even almost 20 years after it was released. "Nespithe" is a truly innovative release fully deserving a 4 star rating.