Demo Collection

A mighty (if only barely decipherable at times) offering of the pagan warspirit distilled into black metal form. Minimalist drumming offers a strong driving beat where any accents or fluctuations of beat/rhythm Lam performs do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. The riffs are triumphant and powerful - a war banner rippling the gales, storming onward through blood and snow to the persistent and unwavering rhythm of the drums. Both demos compiled herein are excellent and varied from one another while still cohesively fitting nicely in juxtaposition on this release. The 1st song on both demos are particularly radiant and powerful.

The production on this release is a blessing and a curse: the murkiness of it (sounds like a rehearsal tape) adds layers of mist and ambiguity to otherwise simple but solid songwriting and layering. This gives the music more body and more room for imagination and intrigue than if these musical ideas/layers were recorded more cleanly and parsed out. On the other hand, a slighter more polished production effort would have added to the strength and power that these raw ideas present. This release definitely feels like a diamond in the rough in which one listens for the purity of the musical ideas presented as opposed to the aesthetics/tones of sound itself.

RIP Lam. It is a pity that we shall never see where this project could have gone, but I shall always hold this compilation in high esteem amongst the offerings of the House of the First Light.