Insatiable Moon

Before Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra disbanded in 2000, the group released one final release that year titled "Insatiable Moon". This was a compilation album that included the first two demos that were released in 1996, as well as including a bonus tracks that hadn't been released up until now. While these demos are clearly prototypes of what's to come from the band, I still think they're good in their own merits.

Both demos do take a bit of different directions towards their execution, but are still generally the same. The first demo "Paganism" mainly consists of a 16-minute track titled "Hunger of the Moon", which is probably the most minimalistic track under the Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra moniker. It mainly consists of a simple drum beat that repeats throughout the track, all while some melancholic keyboards play a sorrowful tune. If you're more into the complex works of the band's later releases, then this track isn't gonna be your favorite. However, as someone who is more tolerant of minimalistic music, I actually find the simple, yet elegant atmosphere of the track perfect for when you're just chilling. The other three tracks are much shorter, but still offer the same thing. A minimalistic composition mainly comprised of a depressive keyboard. "The Sunbirthday" and "The Ancient Forest Under Frozen Moon" are both fantastic, but "Into the Abyss of Witches" feels more like a filler track that I end up skipping a lot. This demo is very simple and does requite a bit of an acquired taste to get into, but other than one mediocre track, I generally found this demo enjoyable.

And as for the next demo "Wolf's Eye", I think it's a lot better than the previous one. While it's still generally minimalistic, right from the first track "Dewillomened", there is more complexity thrown into the instrumentals, as the deep-tuned synth feels loaded and filled with its deep sound. While it is a rather dark and disturbing start to this demo, the next track "The Rain" goes for a more melancholic and dark tone with a cheap keyboard that is reminiscent to the last demo. My personal favorite track on this demo might actually go to "Serenity", as it includes the minimalism of the last demo, but also with the melodic and eerie tone of this very demo. And of course, I can't forget about the bonus track "The Stardust" that's thrown in between this demo, which is actually pretty nice. Once again, it's minimalistic in nature, but it's effective at a nightly and out-of-this-world atmosphere, and feels like you're stargazing in a wintry forest in Ukraine. This demo feels more fleshed out, and does offer a much stronger atmosphere.

Even though I prefer Wolf's Eye over Paganism, I still thought these two demos were really good. They're very amateurish and don't have the greatest of production values, but for simple dark ambient demos, they're good enough for relaxing. Not to mention the bonus track also being a good fit to it all. While the last Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra release might feel a bit underwhelming, for me personally, I don't really think they could've ended it better than with a simple dark ambient piece for night-time activities.