Judas Iscariot - Of Great Eternity (1997)

Of Great Eternity is the third studio album from Judas Iscariot. It was released on Elegy Records in 1997, and shows a bit of a progression from the first two records. That is not to say that it is good, but it feels a bit more coherent than its predecessors and the musicianship is somewhat more competent, though not by much. The songwriting is fairly similar to the previous material, though some attempts are made to add depth to the overall product. In the end, this album does not break new ground for the band, but it allows Akhenaten to have a bit more solid footing.

The album begins with "...the Heavens Drop With Human Gore...", which seems to be considered some sort of milestone for the band, though it is average in every way possible. It fades in with a mournful vibe, before transitioning to the standard Darkthrone-worship that Judas Iscariot is known for. The guitar tone is thin and suits the style of the music, while the drumming still exhibits the same limitations as before, though to a lesser degree. The song also includes more mid-paced riffs that are reminiscent of Burzum, but nothing really comes of it and the repetition becomes tedious by the end. Not bad, but nothing to get excited about.

"...I Filled With Woes the Passing Wind..." is an instrumental track that is similar to the title tracks from the previous two records, breaking free of the typical formula used for most of the other songs. It possesses a sombre feeling, though it remains in a state of mediocrity, failing to realize the bit of potential that it has. The song is rather one-dimensional, but that is to be expected from Akhenaten.

The next song is "...Then Mourns the Wanderer...", which begins with more fast tremolo melodies before shifting to something else that sounds familiar in a way. The mid-paced part at least adds some variety to the track, though not doing much to elevate the quality. A Burzum-inspired section, near the end, helps the dark atmosphere expand a bit, before returning to the initial tremolo riff and concluding. This song is probably one of the more enjoyable ones on here, and is bereft of the awkward feeling that plagued most of the earlier material.

"...for the Last Judgement Draweth Nigh..." is a short and straightforward track in the vein of classic-era Darkthrone, of course. The tremolo melodies do not really evoke any sort of feeling, and it all comes off as rather sterile and pointless. The execution is much more competent than similar tracks from The Cold Earth Slept Below... or Thy Dying Light, but it lacks any real purpose or direction.

This is followed by a song that utilizes the same approach. "...Calls to Heaven for Human Blood..." features more cold tremolo riffs, though slightly less sterile. One gets the impression that Akhenaten is at least trying to conjure some sort of dark feeling. There is more variation in tempo and the slower sections add a sense of melancholy to the song. The riffs are a bit more memorable, even if they are unoriginal. It still reeks of a combination of Darkthrone and Burzum, with very little unique input, but it is pulled off more successfully than in the past.

"...Our Sons Shall Rule the Empire of the Sea..." starts with one of the better tremolo melodies found on the album, and possesses more of a sombre and epic feel. The riffs still have a familiar quality, but that is to be expected from a musician of such limited vision. Despite whatever pretentious goals he may have had, Akhenaten is still hardly capable of more than hero-worship. This particular song is more complex than any other that he had written, up to this point, and the result is fairly decent. It maintains a mournful atmosphere throughout, leaving the listener in an introspective mood.

Of Great Eternity is not a bad album, but it seems pitiful that it took Akhenaten three tries just to display even a minimal level of competency in songwriting and musicianship. This would have made for an acceptable debut effort, showing a little bit of potential while also paying homage to those who inspired the creation of Judas Iscariot, but to possess such little original thought and to still be so mired in obvious imitation is slightly embarrassing. This is an average album, neither good nor bad, but certainly an improvement when compared to the band's earlier works.

Nachtfalke - Land of Frost (2003)

Land of Frost, the third offering from Germany's Nachtfalke, was released in Christhunt Productions in December 2003. On this record, Occult Mors continues the work that truly began on his previous effort while taking the Bathory-worship to a new extreme. As with Doomed to Die, there is still a decent amount of material that carries on the dark legacy of Moonblood, but the overall atmosphere of the album is less dismal and more frozen and epic.

It begins with "The Windlords", which bursts forth at full speed, after a lengthy intro. The guitar tone sounds somewhat similar to Abyssic Hate, though the music here is vastly superior. This track does well to start things out at a furious pace, and really works well within the overall context of the album. The vocals are impassioned and suit the vibe of the music, perfectly. The lyrics are quite similar to what one would expect from Immortal, and the similarities with that Norwegian band do not end there.

"Ragnarök" is the longest song on the album, clocking in at nine and a half minutes. The introductory riffs are reminiscent of the material from Hammerheart, though the mood changes rather abruptly. The arrangement is brilliant and the miserable feeling is almost overwhelming. This song sounds somewhat like "Einherjer (Doomed to Die)", from the previous album, yet it is even more melancholic. The woeful vocals add a sense of despair and pure misery to the atmosphere, aiding the guitar riffs in creating a sense of loss and mourning. It makes sense that it bears similarities to the aforementioned track, based on the lyrical theme that is present in both. While there is a faster section, later on, the song is predominantly mid-paced and possesses a very epic feeling.

The next song is "Berserker", starting out with a Bathory-inspired riff but soon transitioning to pure Immortal worship. To his credit, Occulta Mors does a very good job at incorporating this style into the overall tapestry of Land of Frost. This really sounds like a lost track from Battles in the North, as even the vocal performance is more in the vein of Abbath's style. The guitar riffs, drumming patterns and even the clean guitar passage all scream Immortal. Most importantly, it is done well.

"Immortal Home" is next and this is the real highlight of the record. It was also the first Nachtfalke song that I heard, so there is a bit of sentimentality attached as well. The riffs are completely derivative of Bathory and it is done beautifully. If not for the harsh vocals, this could easily be mistaken for one of Quorthon's hymns. It even includes the backing choir. This mid-paced epic creates an atmosphere that is majestic and strangely sad as well. It evokes an odd feeling, almost like being homesick for a place that does not exist; or at least, not anymore.

Things speed up with "Men from North", utilizing cold tremolo riffs and yet sounding very little like Moonblood, as one might expect. There are times when the bass guitar is heard more than usual, and the backing choir returns for the mid-paced refrain. This song is fairly simple, alternating between the fast and slower riffs and keeping up the epic feeling that bleeds forth from this album.

The final track is "Land of Frost", which is strange upon first listen due to the clean vocals and high-pitched scream, at the beginning. It seems much more upbeat and thrashy, with harsh vocals dominating most of the track. Though it takes a listen or to to get used to, this song is actually very good and adds yet another dimension to the album.

Land of Frost is a great record that manages to surpass Doomed to Die, if only slightly, in terms of songwriting and execution. It offers more variation and the epic nature of the album is far beyond what its predecessor was capable of. The fact that some of the songs sound so similar to other bands does not detract from the overall experience and the skill in integrating those styles into Nachtfalke's music is exceptional. Buy this.

Nachtfalke - Doomed to Die (2002)

Nachtfalke began as a side project for Occulta Mors, better known for his work with the legendary German Black Metal band Moonblood. As that collaboration came to an end, he decided to simply to continue with his other project and use the riffs accordingly. While his signature songwriting style is still quite evident, there is a much stronger influence from Bathory's Viking-era. This element could already be found in some of the Moonblood material, but took on a more prominent role in Nachtfalke. After somewhat inconsistent debut album, the band returned in 2002 with Doomed to Die, released on Christhunt Productions.

The album begins with "Valhalla", opening with an intro suitable for The Lord of the Rings. After a minute or so, the razor-thin tremolo riffs rise from the darkness and are joined by intense drumming and wild vocals. Occulta Mors does not utilize as grim and harsh of a vocal approach as Gamaalzagoth did, but it is not too far off. He also manages to employ a bit of clean vocals during the refrain, as the riffs shift to a thrashier style. These passages add an epic feeling to the song, thus making it a bit less dark than one might have expected. This track is pretty straightforward and shows quite a bit of improvement over the previous record.

"Pestkrieg" possesses a very dramatic feel, and is driven by mid-paced tremolo melodies, assisted by the drumming. The atmosphere is sombre, at times, but not to the extent where it becomes overtly depressive. The production suits the music well and is still rather raw but boasts a higher degree of clarity which enables all of the elements to stand out moreso than on albums like Blut und Krieg or Taste Our German Steel.

The next song is a cover of Bathory's "Home of Once Brave" and, incredibly, Occulta Mors does a very decent job on vocals, coming very close to matching the tone that Quorthon used over a decade before. This does well to maintain the atmosphere of the original song, while also blending in with the rest of the material and helping to form a cohesive whole.

"Fallen Heroes" starts out with a slow riff that sustains the vibe from the previous song, before transitioning to something faster. The mournful tremolo riffs are, again, reminiscent of Moonblood and give an idea of what that band would have sounded like with a clearer production. There is a bit of variation in the tempo, with slower sections appearing near the middle and a return of the intro theme.

The final song is "Einherjer (Doomed to Die)". It is a slower song that actually reminds more of Burzum than Bathory, and the atmosphere is melancholic throughout. There is a bit of keyboard use that is rather minimal and adds to the eerie vibe. There is a miserable feeling conveyed by this song, but moreso in the sense of being aware of some horrible fate that is inescapable rather than drowning in sorrow.

Doomed to Die is a very solid album and does well to preserve the legacy of Moonblood as well as to further establish Nachtfalke's sound. There is a good balance between the original songwriting style of Occulta Mors and the strong Bathory influence, even working a cover song into the mix without sacrificing the flow of the album. All of the songs work well together to create a cohesive album, rather than a mere collection of songs. That was one of the main issues with Hail Victory Teutonia. The only real complaint with this record is that it is only 34 minutes long. However, sometimes, less is more and it is better to leave your listeners hungering for more instead of boring them to tears. This is highly recommended for fans of Moonblood, Viking-era Bathory or epic Black Metal, in general.

Judas Iscariot - Thy Dying Light (1996)

Judas Iscariot's sophomore effort, Thy Dying Light, was released by Moribund Records in 1996. This was a relatively short time after the appearance of the band's debut album, yet already Akhenaten had ascended to a new level of pretentiousness. This was not only evident in the ridiculously long song titles, but also in the music itself. Regardless of how serious he was, it is quite clear that he failed in attaining his ambitious goals. Furthermore, this album demonstrates just how out of touch Akhenaten was with the true essence of Black Metal. Imitation does not necessarily indicate a sense of understanding, which is something that is often lost on many.

The album begins with "...But Eternals Beheld His Vast Forests...", which is a rather minimalist track that does not stray far from the formula of Darkthrone-worship that was present on The Cold Earth Slept Below... Frigid tremolo riffs create a bleak atmosphere, with the grim vocal approach suiting the sound and showing a little more of a connection to the music. The drumming is still awful and the timing is obviously flawed, but it is slightly less awkward. The real downside to this song are the terrible breakdowns, that have absolutely no place in Black Metal and certainly not this style. It goes to show that most Americans find it difficult to separate themselves from the moronic Death Metal mentality that was dominant for so long. Given that the music is so unoriginal, it is really puzzling that Akhenaten would not be able to restrain such foolish additions, since he was obviously plagiarizing his heroes in the first place.

"...His Eternal Life, Like a Dream Was Obliterated...", displays more of a Burzum influence, such as the open-arpeggio chords and the slower pace designed to create a sorrowful atmosphere. The vocal approach is completely wrong for this type of song, and does nothing to accentuate the sombre vibe. Though the track clocks in at just over nine minutes, it feels like twenty. All in all, it comes off as kind of flat, since it just drones on and on, with no build and no climax. What little variation that exists here actually serves to undermine the main riff, rather than complimenting it. While none of the riffs go out of their way to destroy the song, it is still a lackluster effort.

Showing no sense of arrangement, Akhenaten follows this lengthy track with one that is even longer. "...Helpless It Lay, Like a Worm in His Frozen Track..." sounds like a combination of Burzum and Darkthrone (which is quite common for Judas Iscariot). It features some more upbeat riffs, mixed with more generic tremolo melodies and some utterly horrible transitions between them. The guitar playing is so sloppy, at times, that one has to wonder if this is a studio album or a garage rehearsal. One has to give credit for the fact that the song includes a handful more riffs than the preceding tracks, but Akhenaten's weak songwriting results in a mess. This song lacks any real sense of unity. This is eleven minutes of disorganized ideas that are thrown together with little or no thought.

"...Behold, Our Race of Unstoppable Genius..." is much shorter, and returns to the fast-paced approach reminiscent of Transilvanian Hunger. This song consists of cold tremolo riffs, inept drumming and disjointed vocals that hardly seem to fit the music at all. In the hands of more competent musicians, some of these riffs could have been decent. The most annoying thing is at the end, where Akhenaten likes to keep talking as the music stops. This guy must really like the sound of his own voice, because he is guilty of doing this a lot.

The next song is "...From His Woven Darkness Above...", which follows the same formula, but manages to be even more irritating. The vocals are comically bad, from the ridiculous pattern to the fact that his voice is too high in the mix. One would think that he would have had the sense to bury his pathetic drumming underneath the guitars, but they are still far too prominent as well. Of course, making matters worse is the presence of a few Death Metal riffs that exposes the fact that this guy has a very feeble grasp on what Black Metal is about, in the first place.

"...Writhing Upon the Wind of Mystic Philosophy and Dreams..." is another track filled with blasting drums and cold tremolo riffs. The vocals sound more like Barbarud from Maniac Butcher, at certain points. This average song is interrupted, near the middle, with a section that sounds inspired by Hellhammer. The thing is that there is no transition at all, the music just disintegrates into something else. This is followed by something more melodic and mournful, which makes no sense at all. How anyone is blind enough to not see through this nonsense is beyond me.

More Darkthrone plagiarism is next, with "...They Saw His Pale Visage Emerge From the Darkness...", leading one to question how Akhenaten released this album with no shame whatsoever. His only worthwhile ideas are stolen or nearly identical to pre-existing riffs and the rest is a clutter of ideas with no sense of logic or continuity. Riffs abruptly end, in order to introduce a concept that has nothing to do with the established theme of the song, only to disappear and shift to something else. As for this song in particular, it is rather straightforward and offers no real surprises. It would be one of the most enjoyable tracks on here, if not for the fact that it is complete rehash.

"...Thy Dying Light, and Desolate Darkness..." is an instrumental that seems to come out of left field, with no real connection to the rest of the material. It sounds oddly familiar as well, which is not a terribly shock considering the source.

Thy Dying Light can be summed up by the outro, which is pointless and laughable, just like the majority of this album. It is sad that so many Black Metal fans cannot see that Judas Iscariot is a joke that no one let them in on. The song arrangement, musicianship and songwriting are all so bad that this is either a prank on the underground or evidence that Akhenaten is a clueless imbecile with no business getting near musical instruments and even less reason to venture into the realm of Black Metal. Get a clue and see this for the trash that it is.

Judas Iscariot - The Cold Earth Slept Below... (1996)

Judas Iscariot was among one of the better-known American Black Metal bands and, for some reason, has long held a high level of respect within the underground. This is quite difficult to explain, since the band was mediocre at best and struggled even to achieve that rank. The Cold Earth Slept Below..., released in 1996 on Moribund Records, was the first full-length album from the inept hands of Akhenaten and serves as a good representation of everything that was wrong with Black Metal from the other side of the Atlantic.

The first thing that one may notice is that the musicianship is utterly horrible, even by the low standards of raw Black Metal. The guitar playing is competent enough, as even the sloppiness sort of works within the context of the style. The drumming is the most obvious flaw, and it is clear why people would be better off finding bandmates to play with, rather than trying to be the next Varg and do everything alone. The drumming is atrocious and is one of the worst elements of the whole record. At many points, it is clear that he is struggling to keep up with the riffs, but then overcompensates by getting a burst of adrenalin and speeding up too much. To make it worse, one can also hear him losing the energy to pound away at such a furious pace, as the drumming will get weaker and almost fade into the background. In this style of Black Metal, percussion is supposed to be an afterthought, being relegated to the role of keeping time and nothing more; however, it is so sloppy that it distracts from the guitar riffs and kills the momentum of the songs. The whole performance is completely laughable, and it sounds as if Akhenaten had just gotten his first drum kit about a week before the album was recorded.

The vocals are also a low point, showing a total disconnect with the music and appearing to be random, with no real thought put forth in advance. The vocal patterns are haphazard and give off a very amateurish vibe, for the most part. Instead of going along with the music in some fashion, his voice almost exists in some separate dimension, which adds to the overall lack of cohesiveness found on the album. There are some clean vocals utilized on "Reign", which actually add to the melancholic feeling and comes off as a nice touch.

"Damned Below Judas" starts out with a sombre tremolo riff, blasting drums and typical grim vocals. Right away, it sounds like a third-rate Darkthrone wannabe. The riffs are not too bad, and the sloppiness even works within the context of the style, yet the horrid drumming kills the song. The guy is all over the place, and the focus shifts away from the guitar melody (which is ripping off the title track to Transilvanian Hunger) and onto the comedic percussive efforts. All in all, it sounds like a child attempting, poorly, to emulate his heroes. There is a slower section, near the end, reminiscent of Burzum, before struggling to return to the main riff. Sadly, this is one of the better tracks on here.

The next song is about half a minute of grinding, blasting nonsense with some screaming. This is followed by "Babylon", which actually begins with a cold tremolo melody that, again, hearkens back to Akhenaten's favourite Darkthrone record. The guitar tone is slightly different, possessing more of a frozen feeling. Midway through, things slow down as a mid-paced riff is introduced. It is completely out of place and interrupts the flow of the song, but it is soon replaced by something more appropriate. These two ideas alternate for the remainder of the track, with disappointing results. Again, everything fades with random vocals tossed in at the end.

The title track is a pointless instrumental that does nothing to add to the atmosphere of the album, and is rather inconsistent itself. There is one decent riff, but it was stolen from somewhere else. More filler.

"Midnight Frost" is the best song on the record, which is kind of sad considering how flawed it is. It features a freezing tremolo riff and primitive blasting drums, along with hateful vocals that actually suit the music a bit more than usual. There is a slower section, near the middle, that attempts to add a sense of sorrow and morbidity, but Akhenaten is no Varg Vikernes and his efforts pale in comparison. However, at least he manages to keep time with the drums a bit better, during the mid-paced parts. The song returns to the faster riff, ending in a bit of chaos.

The next song follows the same formula. "Ye Blessed Creatures" sounds like a throwaway track from a Darkthrone album. As mediocre as it is, this comes off as one of the more solid tracks on here, just for the fact that it is consistent and the flaws are kept to a minimum. It is rather straightforward and does not bother to include any variation in tempo.

"Reign" starts out with a lot of random chaos, sounding like yet another filler track, until everything slows down and a morbid feeling rises from the fog and the mournful atmosphere begins to wash over you. The woeful clean voice helps add to the sense of despair, with the sorrowful riffs wailing in anguish. This song seems a little underdeveloped, though it may actually be to its benefit that it is kept short and simple. After a couple minutes of misery, the chaotic riffs return and the song ends just as it began.

Next up is "Fidelity", which sounds reminiscent of "Witches Sabbath" from Emperor's Wrath of the Tyrant. It fails to conjure up the same dark feeling, but it is pointless as the riff is abruptly replaced by a different one. After a few moments, Akhenaten decides to rip off Darkthrone's "Slottet I Det Fjerne", with no shame whatsoever. This is not even a case of the riff sounding slightly similar; this is the same riff played by a less skilled musician. The song falls apart, later on, descending deeper into mediocrity.

"Nietzsche" is the longest song on here, at nine and a half minutes. It is quite repetitious, with the same mournful riff repeating for its entirety. There are extremely brief interruptions, but these do not add anything to the atmosphere. Like most of the other tracks, this one could have used a bit more development before being recorded for an L.P. It is not as horrible as some of the others, but it gets boring after a while.

The Cold Earth Slept Below... is not the classic album that some imbeciles would have you believe. It is completely derivative of bands like Darkthrone and Burzum, with very little originality. This still had some potential, but it was ruined by the pathetic musicianship of Akhenaten who, somehow, managed to screw up raw minimalist Black Metal. There are a few decent guitar riffs here, but they all sounded much better the first time around, when heard on Transilvanian Hunger. This amateurish garbage would have been best suited for a demo cassette, as this kid obviously needed time to master his instruments and learn how to write and arrange a song before releasing a full-length. Do not be tricked into believing the hype and thinking this is anything more than pedestrian hero worship.

Moonblood - Nosferatu (1994)

Nosferatu is the second official Moonblood demo tape, released in December 1994 and limited to 100 hand-numbered copies. This recording is somewhat difficult to listen to, as a result of the absolutely horrible sound. However, the material that is contained on this cassette is of such a high quality that one has little choice but to struggle through it anyway. Having once possessed an original copy of this demo, I can say that the aural difficulties were present from the very beginning.

The production, if it can even be called that, is the one main complaint about this release. In fact, it is so bad that it ranks below some of the unofficial rehearsal tapes. The sound is very muffled, as if the band was playing in the next room. To make matters worse, there is a decent amount of hissing and a high-pitched noise that continues throughout the entire demo. This is so atrocious that it makes the early Mütiilation demos sound overproduced. With all that said, the music is worth every bit of the headache that will surely come from attempting to listen to this.

It all begins with an eerie funeral organ intro that hearkens back to the classic horror scores of the 1930s. This creates a dark feeling, as one gets flooded by images of foggy graveyards and bloodthirsty ghouls. Once this gives way to the first proper song, "Nosferatu", the atmosphere becomes more dreary and melancholic than one could have imagined. Though the recording quality is low, an utterly dismal tremolo melody manages to emerge from the chaotic storm. There is some variation in the tempo, with a few other riffs introduced as the track proceeds, but the main theme always returns. The drumming seems to be similar to the later material, in that it maintains a straightforward approach and blasts ahead in an effort to keep time, more than anything else. The vocals are raspy and inhuman, sounding very similar to the tone found on The Winter Falls Over the Land. Despite (or partially due to) the horrid production, there are subtle nuances that serve to dim the overall vibe even more, adding a chilling effect to an already haunting song.

"Listen to Nana" starts out with a wicked intro melody, before slowly building upon a foundation of old school Black Metal. This song is more mid-paced, but no less brilliant than the last. There seems to be a bit of old Bathory influence here, and the vocals are quite possessed. Whether it is simply some trick resulting from the obscure production or something to do with the guitar tone, the fact is that this song offers some truly creepy riffs as well. There is something very morbid and unnerving about this.

A feeling of doom is present from the opening moments of "In the Moonshine". After a couple minutes, the picking of the main melody transitions to a tremolo style and the song speeds up. The atmosphere is sombre, but not overly so, somewhat interrupted by a less interesting riff that arrives near the end.

"Burn Down the Heavenly Garden" features a very old school sound, reminiscent of the First Wave bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Bathory, Sodom, etc. One of the primary elements is a nasty thrash riff that adds a sense of lethality and violence to this morose undertaking. As the song progresses, the atmosphere takes on a mournful tone as a sorrowful bass line joins the woeful guitar riff. Even in such a grim environment, Moonblood displays extreme proficiency in creating an epic feeling despite the primitive style of music being played.

This is followed by "Only a Dream of Dark Kingdom", continuing the evil and melancholic feeling with a brief intro. Beyond this, the track is rather fast and straightforward, consisting of frigid tremolo riffs accompanied by blasting drums and sinister vocals. While much less ambitious than some of the earlier songs, this one still manages to hold its own and adds to the overall effect.

The demo ends with "A Journey through the Darkness of Night", which offers a little more variety than the last song, though the variations in tempo and riffing patterns do not alter the vibe that much, meaning less of an epic sense than the earlier tracks. Nevertheless, this song is a offers a good dose of grim and ugly Black Metal.

Nosferatu is an amazing piece of music that shows a high level of development from a band that had existed for a relatively short amount of time. It is a disappointment only in the sense that it contains material of such brilliance that it is a shame that some of these tracks were never revisited. But as it stands, it is certainly worth the irritation of filtering through the distortion and murkiness in order to bathe in the dark and mournful melodies. Though they may not have even realized it, Gamaalzagoth and Occulta Mors conjured up something special with this recording and offered a glimpse into another world.

Moonblood - Dusk Woerot (2003)

Dusk Woerot is the final release from Moonblood, marking an end to a brilliant and oddly obscure musical career. The band always went out of their way to limit their recordings, part of this being that they released only vinyl and cassettes. In the autumn of 2000, Gaamalzagoth and Occulta Mors created music together for one final time, before the demise of Moonblood. The issue of this unholy union would not see the light of day for a few years, as the two musicians soon went their separate ways. And so the most revered band of the German Black Metal scene faded into oblivion, ending in an appropriate manner: a demo tape limited to 666 copies.

This demo begins with an ominous intro, as an evil voice calls out from the darkness, amid sounds of bitter cold winds and ravens circling overhead through the stormy night. This leads into the first proper song, "Dusk Woerot: Chapter II", which starts with an icy tremolo riff that carves into you flesh and allows the blood to flow into the waiting mouths of nocturnal ghouls. The material is quite similar to that of Taste Our German Steel, as well as the various split releases. This is raw and minimalist Black Metal with obvious influences from early Bathory and Darkthrone. The guitar melodies are very memorable and this track actually holds its own up against anything else that the band has recorded.

"Dusk Woerot: Chapter III" continues where the previous song leaves off, though taking on a slightly darker feeling. It is very straightforward and fast-paced, with no real variation in tempo. The guitar tone is thin and razor-like, which suits the music perfectly. The production is rough, but absolutely clear enough to appreciate everything that is going on. Of course, this is how underground Black Metal should sound. The mix is just right, with the drums serving only to keep time and never dominating the sound. The guitars could have been slightly higher, but they are easily heard. The vocals are sinister and wicked, with no hint of humanity remaining.

The final song is "Born to Live in the Shadows of Damnation", which starts out with an acoustic intro that sounds reminiscent of Viking-era Bathory. This can be seen as a kind of foreshadowing, hinting at the next full-time project of Occulta Mors: Nachtfalke. The longest track on here, this mid-paced tune clocks in at nearly eight minutes. It is a little plodding, until the latter half where a nice epic melody emerges. This is a good song, but the band's best moments were always the faster riffs, in my opinion.

And with this brief demo, the musical entity known as Moonblood marched onto the battlefield one final time. Dusk Woerot is not the definitive representation of this band's capabilities, yet it offers a glimpse into the brilliance wrought by Gaamalzagoth and Occulta Mors over the years and is a worthy addition to anyone's collection.