[DELETED] Dave’s Demo Roundup Vol. VII - Runemagick Special

By Dave Schalek. Long running Gothenburg doom/ death trio Runemagick are currently on hold, but are still a presence given their recent activity on Bandcamp. Runemagick have uploaded a lot of early demo recordings, six in all, plus all of their full-lengths from 2002 onwards. All of the newly uploaded material has been remastered for a digital release.

By Dave Schalek.

Long running Gothenburg doom/ death trio Runemagick are currently on hold, but are still a presence given their recent activity on Bandcamp. Runemagick have uploaded a lot of early demo recordings, six in all, plus all of their full-lengths from 2002 onwards. All of the newly uploaded material has been remastered for a digital release.

In this installment of Dave’s Demo Roundup, I take a look at the release of the demo material. I should say that I only have a passing familiarity with Runemagick, so I’m eager to dive into these releases with my ears wide open.


Initially, what Runemagick have released is a little confusing. For example, the first of the demo releases is a single song, “Nocturnal Creation,” which may be taken from either Full Moon Sodomy or NecroLive, both from 1992. I’m not familiar with either of the original demos, but the version of the song included on Full Moon Sodomy is less than two minutes long according to Encyclopaedia Metallum. This version, however, is over seven minutes long, so I can either assume that either a) this song was originally recorded and released on NecroLive (interestingly, Encyclopaedia Metallum does not list a song length for the version of “Nocturnal Creation” on NecroLive), or b) Encyclopaedia Metallum's information is in error.

At any rate, whatever the case, the remastering of the song itself is well done; beefing up what was probably a primitive sounding recording to begin with. The song showcases Runemagick's early approach in blending straightforward Swedish death metal with the more plodding pace of doom metal and with minor moments of melody.

Curse of the Dark Rune is the next release and is a three-song demo originally recorded in the ‘90s and released in January, 1995 according to Runemagick’s Bandcamp page. However, Curse of the Dark Rune does not appear as one of the “official” demo releases in the band’s discography, increasing my confusion. You know what? I’m going to stop worrying about the official canon at this point. Let’s just get on with it.

Curse of the Dark Rune is definitely a step forward from "Nocturnal Creation" as the musicianship is tighter, the recording is better with a snappier drum sound. The music is more melancholy, resulting in a doomier sound as blastbeats have been largely excised.

Dark Dead Demos appears to have been recorded just prior to the release of Runemagick's first full-length, The Supreme Force of Eternity, in 1998. Interestingly, though, most of the songs did not appear until 2000 with Runemagick’s third album, Resurrection in Blood. Decidedly heavier and less melancholy than Curse of the Dark Rune, Dark Dead Demos also features a deeper vocal delivery from band founder Nicklas Rudolfsson, and a faster pace. Dark Dead Demos also proves that Runemagick had a wealth of written material to choose from by the time of the release of The Supreme Force of Eternity.

Sepulchral Realms was recorded in Runemagick’s rehearsal room in 2001 and was originally released as a demo in between full-lengths. Appearing here in remastered form, this appears to be that demo with an identical track listing, including a "heavily improvised" cover of "The Return Of Darkness And Evil". What if Bathory had played doom metal? Answers here.

The last of the demo releases is the two-song Eternal Dark. One of the songs, "Doomed", originally saw the light of day on a 7" vinyl split with Lord Belial. Obviously difficult to find today, here’s your chance to get on board with an obscure release. Both Eternal Dark and Sepulchral Realms are very professional sounding recordings and thinking of them as demos is a bit of a stretch, regardless of the circumstances regarding their original release.

Needless to say, Runemagick's presence on Bandcamp should invigorate interest in the band with what are ultimately modestly priced demo releases, and remastered full-length albums like the 2003 classic Darkness Death Doom. Devotees of the band as well as newcomers such as me have much to explore here.

Label Spotlight: Dark Horizon Records

By Steven Leslie. ounded in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1996 by Andy Newton a.k.a. Lord Typhus of US black metal crew Typhus, Dark Horizon Records specializes primarily in underground black and death metal. A fantastic split from two bands that need no introduction to fans of underground barbarity. Both bands showcase their specific brand of war metal on this split

By Steven Leslie.

Founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1996 by Andy Newton a.k.a. Lord Typhus of US black metal crew Typhus, Dark Horizon Records specializes primarily in underground black and death metal.


A fantastic split from two bands that need no introduction to fans of underground barbarity. Both bands showcase their specific brand of war metal on this split, originally released in 1999. Black Witchery kick things off with a wall of churning guitar riffs, relentless blasting, crashing cymbals and pissed of screams. One of the best things about any Black Witchery release, this one included, is the vocal performance put in by Impurath. His vocal phrasing and the cadence of his delivery adding an additional rhythmical element to the music, making each track that much more impactful. He never fails to find that sweet spot between guttural death metal grunts and harsh black metal shrieks. Black Witchery offers up four tracks and fittingly cap off their end of the split with cover of Blasphemy's "Demoniac". Underground war metal legends Conqueror continue the relentless audio savagery with four more tracks of ruthless desecration. J Read’s unstoppable blast beats providing the backbone for Conqueror’s inexorable attack. Read is a legend for good reason as it is a rare thing to hear so much variety in drumming this fast. Brimming with vitriol, Conqueror unleashes a barrage of lo-fi sonic violence that few can match. Tornado like riffs swirl around laying waste to everything in their path as Read’s hate-filled screams eviscerate any living thing left standing. There is nothing subtle about either band here; this is war metal after all. Considering how difficult it is to get ahold of Conqueror releases, this is a must have for anyone who considers themselves a fan of bestial metal of any variety.




Another classic war metal band here also featuring the talented Mr. Read. Revenge somehow manages to push the audio violence to levels even beyond that conjured by Black Witchery or Conqueror. Never straying from grind-like levels of intensity, you will be happy that this is only about 17 minutes long. Not because it isn’t absolutely killer, but because you will finally be able to catch your breath. Read's vocals are genuinely psychotic. You can feel the hatred dripping from every single syllable. It sounds like the speakers are going to blow out at any given moment. Bands like Revenge are generally pretty hard to review because there really isn't a single part of the music that stands out. Everything from the guitars to the drums and vocals are designed to crush every bone in your body. And that is exactly what this EP will do. When you absolutely want to destroy every motherfucker in the room, accept no substitute.




Hailing from the Netherlands, Sauron have released three superb full lengths of fairly traditional black metal. Originally released in 2003, Universe of Filth is their first and arguably best album. Storming out of the gate with wonderfully catchy guitar lines and relentless blast beats, "Sauron.Death.Squad" sets the tone for the next 33 minutes. While later albums focus more on satanic themes, this beast of an album is dedicated to war. And a fitting soundtrack it is. While the pace rarely changes, Sauron does a great job of writing riffs that are actually memorable despite rarely changing pace. Eclipse’s vocals deserve mention as well. While he follows the traditional black metal template, he injects enough venom into his deliver to make him stand out above the masses of second wave copycats. Those of you who are fans of Panzer-Division era Marduk will find a lot to enjoy about this monster.




Taking a slightly more experimental approach to their black metal, Hordes of the Lunar Eclipse unleashed this, their first full length in 2003. This band sadly flew under most people’s radars when this album was originally released and haven’t gotten the recognition they rightfully deserve. Unlike a lot of the drivel that was being passed off as black metal in the early noughties, Hordes crafted memorable songs and managed to inject enough originality into their music to stand apart from their peers. Constantly shifting and warping from one minute to the next, this album will keep you enthralled from start to finish. Dancing is overflowing with ice-cold tremolo riffs and disturbing grunts all wrapped in a remarkably sinister, occult atmosphere. This again is one of the few bands of this time that was writing memorable riffs, where you could actually distinguish one song from the next. While the production quality does leave something to be desired, there is quite a bit of quality to be found here. Anyone who missed out on this gem first time around would be advised not to sleep on hidden gem.

Sundays of Misfortune 2: The Bastard

By Andy Osborn. I was working as the Metal Director for my college’s radio station when Metal Blade reissued the Hammers of Misfortune discography, giving me a crash course in what would soon become one of my favorite bands. I absorbed their albums voraciously

By Andy Osborn.

Early this year Hammers of Misfortune made their discography available on Bandcamp (everything except for 2011's 17th Street). In the Sundays of Misfortune series Andy takes a look at each of the albums, continuing here with 2001's The Bastard.

Artwork by Lorraine Rath

I was working as the Metal Director for my college’s radio station when Metal Blade reissued the Hammers of Misfortune discography, giving me a crash course in what would soon become one of my favorite bands. I absorbed their albums voraciously, but it was only when I revisited them all last year that I realized how much I truly adore them. There has been a Hammers of Misfortune fanboy lurking within me for years, and now I finally have the means to properly convey my feelings for the band formerly known as Unholy Cadaver.

Rebranding themselves as Hammers of Misfortune, the quartet tried a more streamlined approach to songwriting on The Bastard. The meandering experiments explored previously are left behind as the Bay Area prodigies continue with their classic approach to extremity-infused progressive metal. And if that wasn’t enough to appeal to the tastes of the discerning metalhead, the album is a concept of epic proportions. With a tale of dragons, witches, trolls and revenge it’s a veritable Game of Thrones season imbued into sonic wondry with fantastic neoclassical melodies and dialogue to match.

Every track is efficient and to the point, each its own chapter in the fantastical tale. But despite the short and sweet approach to the songs, The Bastard is an incredibly fluid piece meant to be absorbed as a whole, although its individual parts taken out of order can form the most metal Choose Your Own Adventure ever penned. As the tale progresses it becomes clear dialogue is what breathes life into the dragon’s fire behind the record. Not just the dialogue in the story itself but the back-and-forth between the grand, sweeping lead guitars and the conversation-like tone presented in the various singers as they present themselves. The band is fully comfortable with one another, a far cry from the slightly awkward interplay shown with Unholy Cadaver. But the crowning achievement is the guiding star of John Cobbett’s regal voice, a perfect fit for the medieval setting.

Galloping and blasting their way through kingslaying, enchanted axes and sacrifices, Cobbett and Co. excel without so much as a misstep or unnecessary diversion. This conceptual journey is trimmed of its fat, more Pratchett than Tolkien. It’s exciting and thoroughly rewarding, with nuanced plot points revealing themselves upon subsequent listens. With this debut the Hammers have arrived, and this is only their first pounding at the metal forge.

Enslaved - Monumension

Enslaved's Monumension from 2001 marked an important step in their transition from a straight black metal band to the King Crimson of Viking Metal. On Monumension they maintain a base of thrashy black metal, but contrasts it with Pink Floyd-esque psychedelic rock. As befits the progressive tendencies none of the songs feel alike, but despite that the album flows well; moving from straight black (and death) to the aforementioned psychedelic parts with ease. And tossing in elements of sludge and doom, and even a couple of blasted sequences along the way. Keyboards are used well; they add atmosphere and progressive touches but never threaten to overpower the songs. The production has an organic feel; everything sounds a little rough around the edges, creating an interesting contrast against the progressive intricacies. Monumension is an album that feels alive. Check out the reviews from AllMusic and From the Dust Returned.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]