Angel of Poison and Death

When I come across demo albums from most underground black metal bands, I've grown through experience to avert to listening through them in entirety. Where many of these musicians (using term loosely in this example's case) decide to begin somewhere, they mistakingly go extremely lo-fi, making their release either inaudible or parts of the whole less voluble than others. With this said, this band, for the most part, succeeds in creating a rather adumbrated, demonic atmosphere through this low level of production. This demo begins decent and ends quite brilliantly.

While this band no longer carries these members, the cohorts from fellow Polish countrymen's "Bestial Raids" were a part of this band during the making of this album, and it shows quite well. The song structures at times seem somewhat uncoordinated, but by the track ends you seem to understand the chaotic composition. I will state here that throughout this album, the vocals have a quite disturbingly fiendish, grating reverb that is almost inhuman. In contrast to other black metal vocalists, it may not be as raspy or shriek-like, it's just like something you'd imagine to hear lurking through the caverns of hell (were there such a place). The lyrical content takes a decidedly different turn from most black metal albums in the subtle allegory implied through these passages of biblical reference that seem to indirectly point at the basis of mankind being formed in what Satan essentially represents. Reference to paganistic deities and the serpent seem to be underpinned in all three tracks. Nothing brilliant, but definitely above average.

One of the few qualms I have with this demo is the drumming. At some points this "garage-like" sound actually adds to the atmosphere, at other times the snare seems unlike that at all and more like the clanging on a metal trash can. Other than this, the riffs over most of the blast beats are quite enjoyable and very original at that. While the guitars and bass seem somewhat behind the drums, this affect actually works to this demo's advantage because it adds to the cavernous, morose mood the artists intended to create.

Where the album begins better than most, it ends quite powerfully with the last track building towards the end, leaving you wishing this release was a little bit longer. Some may not see this as palpably original as I have, but it would portend greater things to come in their later releases, and has a great replay value. And for those of you, such as myself, who get tired of hearing lazily produced demos, this release is definitely for you.