Artist: Demilich
Label: Necropolis Records
Release Date: 1993
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Nespithe Artist: Demilich Label: Necropolis Records Release Date: 1993
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Slither:
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Slither, a fan of early 90's Death Metal served fresh daily from Sunlight Studios. I'm not big on the American hyper-blast style, and chromatic sweep picking certainly doesn't float my boat. But no matter what school of Death Metal catches your attention, Nespithe will grab you by the skull and amaze from start to finish. This is Metal that would make Frank Zappa proud.Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of Demilich's many facets are the impossibly low vocals provided by Antti Boman. This isn't the forced belching of Dying Fetus, or the smooth baritone of Barry White. This man sings from his intestines. The vocals stick out as a curiosity at first, but as tracks slip by, they seem more and more essential. Credit to the engineer is due here for the excellent use of reverb, blending the vocals seamlessly with the overall tone of the album.
Though my Death Metal tastes lean toward the Swedish style, I'm certainly not above admitting that Finland kicked the shit out of my favorite bands this time around. Demilich redefined chromatic with this album. Even if it didn't inspire furniture-smashing energy, the unorthodox chord phrasing and song structures alone would make this album unique enough to warrant ownership. If the third track "Inherited Rowell Levitation - Reduced Without Any Effort" doesn't get your head going and your horns in the air, then the concept of groove is truly lost on the modern metal fan.
Bizarre song titles aside, the sheer creativity shown on this release is mind-blowing. The cyclical riffs are played with a loose, punkish feel while retaining the overall technical nature of the music. The guitars have an airy growl that really stands apart from the Sunlight bandwagon many bands were jumping on at the time. Lead guitar melodies slip in and out with a haunting sound that oddly enough brings to mind Radiohead's O.K. Computer. Time changes, signatures and breaks; this beast brings it all to the table.
The production quality of Nespithe is down about a notch from what you would expect to hear on an Entombed album recorded during the same period. The bass breaks through the compressors every now and then, but any other problems are really more of a mastering issue with the high end.
Sadly, the band only released Nespithe and a few demos before their breakup. Nespithe is about to be re-released on Necropolis and thanks to one of the original members, all the tracks from their demos are available on the Demilich website.
Two word review: Chaos Personified
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