Promo

Well, shit! It took me long enough to realize that Will Rahmer has recorded with Incantaiton again, six years after he left the band. However, he’s not an official member, just a session vocalist for these three songs. Nevertheless, it’s better than nothing. Joining Will as session musicians are Mike Saez & Mary Ciullo (yup, you read/fact-checked this right; another female bassist in death metal). Mike would actually return as an official member, as a vocalist, in the band’s fifth (technically fourth) record The Infernal Storm. You may have realized that this is another lineup that wouldn’t stick for long. However, Kyle Severn, the drummer, has been an official member since this demo.

The songs in this demo would eventually reappear again in later releases. Forsaken Mourning of Angelic Anguish would serve as the band’s next release; a long EP (if you take into account the four re-recorded songs). Impending Diabolical Conquest, though the band removed “Impending”, it’s now Diabolical Conquest (technically being the third record). And Nocturnal Kingdom of Demonic Enlightenment would reappear on The Infernal Storm.

Forsaken Mourning of Angelic Anguish showcases a more brutal Will Rahmer. Right when he released Mortician‘s debut album, his brutal death growls have already developed, and he unleashes it here. The song is simple enough in the band’s nature of following fast riffs and a few drum patterns. The next two songs are in the death/doom environment, as you would expect from the band. Naturally, it doesn’t suit Will’s approach considering his grind background to death metal. The second song itself is just not peculiar and original. The instruments sound too traditional, and the key aspect of the song, the doom-ish bridge, is weak. I’m glad I was wrong about the last song, though. While it’s more death/doom, the song’s tone is perfect. You couldn’t start the song better than what you hear from the slow death growls and the guitars’ slow but strong power chords. Then the song follows the same traditional path, but it’s not as bad as the second song.

I gotta say, I’m quite enjoying the demo’s sound, that I wish the band (or whoever’s left of it) explored that sound direction more. I also liked this demo a little more than the first two EPs. In comparison, you’ve got original material, but I digress. Overall, not a bad release and I hope these songs in the future will be on par with the demos here. The best songs are Forsaken Mourning of Angelic Anguish and Nocturnal Kingdom of Demonic Enlightenment.