Moonblood / Asakku split (1998)

Released by Sombre Records in March 1998, the Moonblood / Asakku split offers up a couple decent quality songs of raw German Black Metal. This 7" E.P. was limited to 500 copies, so it is not the easiest to come by. The material on hand is well worth hearing, upholding the traditions of the sub-genre quite well, though it cannot be said that these recordings are earth-shattering, by any means.

The Moonblood track, "Hordes of Hate", was recorded in September 1995. This would have, easily, fit onto the band's first full-length album, Blut und Krieg. In some way, the arrangement is even reminiscent of "I Am All". It starts with an epic intro, before unleashing a blistering assault of frozen tremolo riffs that freeze your flesh and leave you unable to move. The pummeling drums then come along to lay waste to that which is left, as the demonic howls summon the forces of evil to consume your miserable spirit. The guitar melodies are straightforward, yet memorable. The bass lines, more or less, follow along with the main riffs, rarely straying. The production is about the same as what can be heard on most of Moonblood's studio recordings. It is odd that this song was left off of their debut L.P.

Asakku does their best to match the quality of their peers with "Endless Woods", recorded in May 1996. The song starts out with an acoustic guitar, before transitioning to a galloping riff in the vein of Bathory. They utilize a variety of tempos, still managing to maintain a consistent atmosphere throughout. The faster parts employ tremolo riffs that are not all that dissimilar from Moonblood. The production is a bit annoying, as the bass and drums are a little too loud in the mix, with the former possessing sort of a clicking sound that is a little distracting. All in all, Asakku showed promise and would have been a worthy part of the German underground, had they survived.

Quite often, the idea behind split releases is to pair a newer band with one that is more established, to help expose them to a larger fanbase. Such was the case with this 7", yet it seems to have been somewhat of a failure. Asakku was already dead by the time this release came about and this did nothing to revive the band. As for Moonblood, this was nothing more than another opportunity to share one of the countless songs that they were sitting on. It may sound average compared to some of their tracks, but that is only a result of the consistent quality that they were known for. Pick this up, if possible.

Vlad Tepes - Dans Notre Chute (1996)

Dans Notre Chute was released in July 1996, as always, in limited numbers. A lot of times, a band will do this because they just are not that good, but such was not the case, here. This is one of the last demos from Vlad Tepes, one of the most revered bands of the French Black Legions. Recordings such as this prove what a shame it was that these guys never released a full-length album, as it would likely be considered a classic by now.

The material on this demo is not entirely original. Four of the six songs were previously released, more than once. The first several tracks were already available on the Broullions I and II demos, as well as the split L.P. with Torgeist. The song "In Holocaust to the Natural Darkness", in particular, had been recorded five or six times, by this point. For whatever reason, Vlad Tepes liked re-recording their own songs, which is sometimes common with demo releases anyway. For the most part, these songs are very similar to the earlier versions, so there was little necessity in playing them again. The two new tracks fit in well, showing a lot of consistency with the band's songwriting. As usual, they manage to utilize a good mixture of old school influences with more of an overall Second Wave feeling to dominate the material. Like Moonblood, some of their inspirations can be heard, yet they possess a sound that is purely their own. The music consists of eerie tremolo melodies, a handful of memorable thrash riffs, and a hellish feeling rivaled only by Mütiilation (especially on "Our Soul's Worries"). There is also an epic quality that shines through, from time to time. This is most noticeable in "Raven's Hike" and "Tepes - The Unweeping". The quality of arrangement and composition on display here is vastly superior to most Black Metal bands that were releasing full-length albums around this time.

The production is fairly good, compared to a lot of the other Vlad Tepes releases, though maybe not on par with March to the Black Holocaust. While things do tend to get a bit unclear, from time to time (not helped by a persistent buzzing sound that lasts throughout the entire recording), it hardly gets to the point where one can no longer follow the guitar melodies. This possesses a similar sound to the old Mayhem rehearsals and live albums, such as Live in Leipzig. It definitely qualifies as lo-fi, but not to the extent where it is impossible to enjoy.

In the end, Dans Notre Chute is among the most essential Vlad Tepes releases. This should appeal to anyone that appreciate raw, under-produced Black Metal in the vein of Moonblood, Mütiilation and Black Funeral. If you have not yet been well-educated regarding the LLN, this would not be a bad place to start.

Vlad Tepes - Brouillons I (1995)

 

Among the better-known offerings from the LLN movement is the Vlad Tepes / Torgeist split L.P. The contributions from Wlad and Vorlok were originally released in a limited number as the Brouillons I demo, in 1995. This tape captures the raw essence of Vlad Tepes, one of the elite bands of the Black Legions, near their peak. This material may only be second to the songs on March to the Black Holocaust in quality and overall sound and should appeal to anyone into the sort of raw Black Metal that was coming from the French underground in those years.

Vlad Tepes starts the demo with a familiar melody. "Raven's Hike" seems to take "Wladimir's March" and expand upon it, quite a bit. The atmosphere is very epic and memorable, showcasing the band's old school roots. Once "Abyssic & Funeral Symphony - An Ode to Our Ruin" gets going, though, things really pick up. Vlad Tepes delivers the type of sound that bands like Torgeist only hinted at. Here, we get the fast tremolo melodies and the pummeling drums, though not just for the sake of creating a noisy or chaotic feeling. This is neither of those things. The riffs are, obviously, well-developed and mixed with a traditional approach that brings the songs to life much more than the underground posturing that most bands cling to, these days. It would appear that "In Holocaust to the Natural Darkness" was among the band's preferred tracks, as it was recorded a handful of times. This version is a little slower than the one found on March to the Black Holocaust, enabling the Bathory influence to come through a little more. All in all, the Vlad Tepes material is much more intelligible than that of many other LLN bands, which is no surprise as they were simply better songwriters. Each song possesses its own identity and really catches your attention. In particular, the somewhat epic and old school vibe of "Tepes - The Unweeping" is among the best songs that this band ever recorded. There is a dreary feeling that is rather subtle, but still manages to permeate you subconscious. This gloomy atmosphere deepens as the track continues, dragging you into the dark past. Unlike a lot of bands, Vlad Tepes was actually able to mix in older influences in a natural way, as opposed to a song clearly taking a left turn to include an "old school" section that did not truly fit. As for "Those Black Desires That Torment My Soul", this song was not on the split and I am not sure if it was fully meant to be a Vlad Tepes song or not. It first appeared on the 1994 demo of their other project, Black Murder. Either way, the feeling is dark and morbid in a way that eclipses everything else on here. From the eerie riffs to the tortured howls, this really possesses more of a melancholic atmosphere.

The production is surprisingly good for a Vlad Tepes demo, being clear enough for everything to come through well, yet still possessing a raw and underground approach. Unlike the Into Frosty Madness demo, for example, all of the elements are able to be deciphered, from the hateful vocals to the creative guitar riffs and the percussion. Unlike later versions of these songs, they are not dominated by the more trebly and thin sound. One has to wonder which was preferred, since this recording was chosen for the Black Legions Metal split, yet the band continued to record these tracks a couple more times, as if they were not satisfied with how they turned out. In my opinion, they did the best job the first time around, as this demo really captures the atmosphere of the songs very well and allows for all of the hard work and brilliant songwriting to be appreciated.

Vlad Tepes is another band, similar to Moonblood, that was too good for the limitations that they had to work under. Whether it was due to lack of interest on the part of the band members or of labels, the truth is that these guys should have been recording proper albums for several years at least and it is a crime that they did not. Thus, Brouillons I is even more essential for fans of Vlad Tepes. Of this there is no doubt. This is one of the better recordings to come from any of the LLN bands and certainly killed Torgeist's contributions to the split album that this ended up on. It certainly ranks near the top of their discography in terms of sound quality. This may fall a little short when compared to March to the Black Holocaust, but not by much. Seek this out if possible.

Torgeist - Time of Sabbath (1995)

Torgeist was not really among the elite of the LLN movement, gaining most of their notoriety through the split that was released with Vlad Tepes in 1996. This material was taken from their second demo, Time of Sabbath, originally released in 1995. This tape is really the only music from Torgeist that is worth hearing, and the demo actually sounds better than the versions on the split (despite being the same recording, the vinyl has a very low volume that lacks the clarity of the cassette).

Torgeist's sound is not that dissimilar to Belketre, which makes sense as they share two members. Musically, this is very raw and lo-fi, nearly to the extent that it might make your ears bleed. There are a decent number of tempo changes and odd timing signatures. Though the guitars are hellish and possess a fuzzy tone, the bass almost commands more of the listener's attention, rumbling much closer to the surface than one might expect. The songwriting is somewhat unique, as it becomes difficult to really compare this to anything else, directly. These songs lack the standard characteristics that defined most Black Metal of this period; i.e. tremolo melodies and blast beats dominating the sound. In fact, most of this material is kind of mid-paced and relaxed.

Though Time of Sabbath is not the greatest release from the French Black Legions, it still shows a great deal of improvement over Torgeist's first demo, and is actually worth listening to. Unlike Devoted to Satan, this demo possesses a sense of dark atmosphere and a misanthropic spirit that is conveyed through the hateful vocals and the more inspired songwriting. If you ever decide to explore the music of Torgeist, make sure you start here.

Black Murder - Feasts (1995)

Black Murder was a French Black Metal band that belonged to Les Lègions Noire, along with the likes of Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes. In fact, the group consisted of members of the latter, along with a member of Torgeist and Belketre. This project existed for only a short amount of time, yet the music that was left behind shall torment the minds of the weak for eternity. It really is too bad that most of these bands faded away so quickly, as it seemed that they had quite a bit of creativity among them. Black Murder was no exception.

I was first introduced to this band through the Promo '94 release, which featured only two songs of raw Black Metal, containing music that was fairly typical for an LLN band. Though I would toss it in whenever I was in the mood for this sound, the band hardly made an impression upon me. However, with the discovery of Feasts, Black Murder came to mean something much more than an average member of the French Black Legions.

Originally released on cassette, in 1995, this is actually considered to be a demo. This is rather amazing, considering the improved sound quality. The production is still raw and necro as hell, maintaining a very obscure atmosphere, but it is among the clearer recordings left behind by this musical movement. The riffs are fairly easy to understand, though things get a little muddy at times. The drumming stands out from the rest, just enough to be followed well, but not so much that they come off as disjointed or separate from everything else. As one might expect, the vocals are kind of high in the mix, but it works well within the overall sound.

The bulk of the music is built around extremely dreary guitar riffs and tormented screams. This possesses an atmosphere similar to early Mütiilation or Burzum, with the focus on conveying pitch-black negativity to the heart and mind of the listener. Things are often carried out at a brooding pace. Even when the drumming speeds up, the guitar melodies carry on in a hypnotic manner, never really approaching anything that could be called intense. Feasts is the sort of album that would serve well as a soundtrack to a nightmare. There is something downright unsettling about some of the riffs, giving you the feeling that you have been pulled into Hell. The songwriting also includes elements that are similar to the works of Vlad Tepes and Belketre, such as some of the old school rhythms and more traditional passages. Good examples of this can be heard in "Deadsex" and "The Last Supper". This adds to the unique feel of the material, while also helping it to be that much more memorable.

Feasts is one of the better releases from the LLN, in every way possible, and is definitely essential for fans of Vlad Tepes, Mütiilation, Belketre, Torgeist, etc. Even those into I Shalt Become will, most likely, appreciate the bleak and miserable content of this album. This recording cemented Black Murder as one of the most important bands to ever emerge from the French underground and I, for one, feel as if I have been robbed for not hearing it sooner. Avoid the same horrible fate and seek this out now.

Vlad Tepes - The Return of the Unweeping Moon (1994)

Released in early 1994, The Return of the Unweeping Moon is the third demo tape from Vlad Tepes. One of the most notable members of the French Black Legions, alongside bands like Mütiilation and Torgeist, Vlad Tepes plays a rather unique style of raw Black Metal that shows a strong sense of songwriting and a firm connection to the band's old school roots. While the best example of their sound can be heard on the March to the Black Holocaust split with Belketre, the other various recordings are worth hearing, for hardcore fans of this band / style.

Three of the songs on this demo are present, in a much more presentable form, on the aforementioned split L.P. This enables the listener to really get a sense of how the material developed, as well as how the musicianship of the different members improved. While a lot of underground releases, around this time, were busy ripping off the bands from Norway, Vlad Tepes really had their own thing going on. This is raw, unpolished Black Metal that is severely under-produced, not because the band was attempting to create a necro feeling, but because of the equipment available to them. One can detect hints of thrash, here and there, along with some guitar melodies that add depth and verge on epic. "In Holocaust to the Natural Darkness", in particular, features riffs and a lead solo that owe something to early Bathory and would not have sounded out of place in the early-to-mid '80s. Only one track fits the typical Second Wave sound, consisting of tremolo melodies and straightforward drumming, which is "Massacre Song from the Devastated Lands"; however, even this song shows a great deal of development and skill in songwriting. This is the sort of song that takes the listener on a journey through ruined castles and darkened forests, in the dead of night. Though the sound quality is very poor, it has nothing to do with sloppy execution. Wlad, Vorlok and Niflheim were all in time and functioning as a cohesive unit, during the recording of this demo.

Not necessarily essential, The Return of the Unweeping Moon is still of interest to fans of Vlad Tepes. Though the material is present on other recordings, it is sometimes nice to hear different interpretations, and one can really appreciate the quality of the later versions. It is a shame that the band was not able to properly record all of their songs and release a few full-lengths, as they were capable of brilliance, at times.

Graveland - In the Glare of Burning Churches (1993)

Graveland's fifth demo, In the Glare of Burning Churches, is one of the more grim and raw efforts from this Polish band. Released on cassette, in May 1993, it has been reissued on tape and CD, several times. Over the years, some extra songs have been added, though this is hardly a major selling point, as superior versions can be found on The Celtic Winter. Had it not been made available on CD, there would really be no reason to ever track this down and listen to it. It is not particularly impressive, though it is not bad for what it is.

I was much more into this 'album' when I first obtained it, as I was quite disappointed with everything else that I had heard by the band, other than The Celtic Winter and Carpathian Wolves. It was nice to be able to go back and hear more raw Black Metal with Graveland's trademark approach, actually being able to enjoy the band again by going back in time. I recall listening to it over and over, while studying in the bleak winter months. However, after that initial period, it has done little more than collect dust.

The material on this demo should sound familiar with anyone that has heard the aforementioned releases. A few of the same songs are present, though the atmosphere is a little different. This is due to the performance and production. This may be the band's most raw effort, next to The Celtic Winter. The main difference is that the sound is quite flat, particularly the drums. The lack of reverb makes for an entirely new listening experience. The rhythms are a little boring as well, though this is not a huge deal. Overall, the songs are lacking in conviction and passion, doing very little to create atmosphere outside of the various samples of flames and winds. The keyboards also attempt to make up for the weak riffs, but to little or no avail. Most of the songs are mid-paced and one-dimensional, failing to keep the listener's attention for very long. The musicianship is very sloppy and the songwriting is uninspired, for the most part. Though one might be tempted to write this off as a third-rate tribute to Norwegian Black Metal, Graveland's music actually possesses a character of its own. While many of the elements may sound familiar to fans of Darkthrone, Emperor and Burzum, the actual execution is done in such a manner as to not really sound like any of those bands.

In the Glare of Burning Churches is not essential, but offers a decent slab of raw Black Metal that should appeal to anyone that found themselves disappointed with everything after Carpathian Wolves. It may end up being little more than a novelty, but fans of early Graveland should give it a shot.