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.

Procreation - Incantations Of Demonic Lust For Corpses Of the Fallen

‘Incantations of Demonic Lust...’ is yet another excellent demo compilation put out by one of the finest labels around, NWN! Prod, featuring both of the band’s demos. Procreation played some great, filthy death metal, which also had some Blasphemy-like black/death tendencies as well. It’s a shame when bands this good don’t make it past the demo stage, but this compilation does a fine job of making up for that.

For a lot of death metal bands, pinpointing influences, or at least distinct similarities, can be fairly easy (not that that’s a bad thing). This isn’t really the case with Procreation. You hear bits and pieces from a variety of different death metal offshoots, as well as some pretty original ideas of their own. As far as death metal standards go, they kept their song structures on more of the simpler side, as well as their riffs, and it works perfectly well for them. The riffing stays in the lower-end of the fret board throughout both demos, and makes use of lots of oddly placed, militant-sounding palm mutes in a very Blasphemy-tinged way. The guitar tone is chunky withy lots of low-end sludge and murk as well as an equal amount of high-end sharpness. This works perfectly with the clunky, muculent filth the bass spews out with its own distinct tone, and holds a firm place in the mix on both recordings. The drumming is decently executed, and definitely works as an effective driving force for the bestial onslaught the other instruments wrench out. And of course there is the vile vocal work of Jay “Hippieshredder” Shniader. Jesus, does he vomit with all his might! They are a higher-pitched style, and not a very common one in death metal, but it is equally as fitting

Despite what the archives says, these demos have not been remastered, as it states directly on the info page that comes with the LP. But this is not a bad thing by any means, as the rawness works in the band’s favor. There is no loss in audibility in any department, and the leveling is decently proportionate, so there’s really no reason to complain.

So yes, I’d suggest getting a copy to anyone into ancient, dirty death metal from the glory days. Plus, the fact that NWN put it out doesn’t hurt either, so you KNOW, beforehand, that you’re in some quality shit, both musically and visually.