The Science of Horror

"The Science of Horror" is one of the best death metal demos ever made. This was an explorative quantum leap from the first Nocturnus demo (which was crude, raw and underproduced). The band lineup was overhauled. Mike Browning and Gino Marino remained, but they were joined by guitarist Mike Davis, keyboardist Louis Panzer and bassist Jeff Estes. These additions made an impact. Davis brought lead guitar pyrotechnics whilst Panzer became the first genuine ‘death metal keyboardist’ (contributing to the melody, beyond mere intros and ambience). The bass playing of Estes is audible on this demo too, much more so than on the band’s subsequent debut album ("The Key").

The band’s science fiction flirtations begin here, more in the atmosphere than in the lyrics. The demo starts with a sample of a harsh polar storm. This simple effect provides an otherworldly eeriness, as if landing on a distant rocky planet with extreme weather conditions. It is one of the best intros I’ve ever heard in metal, merging into a revamped version of “BC/AD” (originally from the previous demo, and later re-recorded for the debut album). This version is the best of the three. It sounds massive, as if lugging an enormous weight with every chug. The riffs lurch with an off-time groove and an effortless heaviness. Browning’s opening vocal lines have a robotic feel to them, presumably he used some kind of effect (Voivod were probably an influence too). The backing vocals are iconic, as are the blazing solos and speedy riffs that intersperse the slower parts (a precedent for the first Darkthrone album, it seems).

All three of the other songs, "Standing in Blood", "Neolithic" and "Undead Journey", would be re-recorded for the band's debut album (OK, the latter only appeared as a bonus track on the CD version). Again, these demo versions are superior to the album versions. The production, done by Jon Oliva from Savatage, is much heavier and darker. He gave the band a much thicker, bassier mix than Morrisound managed on the debut album. This production has the right amount of old school grubbiness but allows the band's technical prowess (and musical ideas) to flow. Browning's vocals have a nasty sneering rasp to them, similar to what Morbid Angel were doing at the same time. "Neolithic" sounds particularly good, being another slower, sludgier song with a creepy, relentless riff pattern and an amazing keyboard-led breakdown.

This is a perfect death metal demo. It captures the band at their nastiest and most intense, but also at a time when they were pushing experimental boundaries with an emerging genre. I cannot say that this demo, taken as a whole, is better than "The Key" (which has too many wild and exuberant moments to be denied the top spot in the Nocturnus canon). Still, the bottom line is that this demo is about as great as progressive death metal gets, whilst being as heavy and monstrous as anything else from 1988.