Incantations of Demonic Lust for Corpses of the Fallen

Though I no longer own my vinyl copy of this, I’ve been re-familiarizing myself with the Nuclear War Now! catalogue digitally of late, and this document of Procreation's entire recorded output has stood out to me for over 20 years now. If you’re a fan of straightforward, heavy-as-fuck death metal, even when it’s a bit murky, this is an easy recommendation.

These two demos really capture a chugging, unrelenting behemoth of a band whose slow riffs are honestly some of my favourite in the genre. The opening minute of “Morbid Reality” alone is enough to justify the purchase, but equally vicious (and viscous!) riffs appear throughout, especially at the end of “Tombs of Assyria.” Procreation don’t overcomplicate their song structures (there are very few guitar solos here, for example), yet they're still very engaging through just pure riff-craft. Their fast parts aren’t quite as successful, often seeming wild and chaotic instead of furious and controlled, but they all still work in context.

But part of that chaos is because these REALLY are demos. I usually overlook poor recordings (love me some kvlt black metal bedroom business), but the riffs here feel like they demand a sense of grandeur that is rarely present. Proceedings can sound raw and rough, which is fine, but also occasionally loose and imbalanced. It’s the main reason this isn’t scoring much higher. But less-than-ideal recordings are the fate of many amazing bands past and present, and I'm glad NWN saved these from the dustbin of history, regardless of quality. If you can overlook the low production value, and are seeking some bestially heavy riffs, you'll really find something special here.


Note: All song titles refer to the Bandcamp version, which matches the ordering of my old vinyl copy. I've seen YouTube versions of the album where the song order/titles do not match what's there.