• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

This was originally released as a 4-track demo tape in 1996, now re-issued on CD with a bonus track. This is some pretty raw stuff out of France, speedy and chaotic for the most part – even a bit messy at times, which is to be expected from demo material. Despite the über-distortion, one can still hear quite a bit of melodic amidst all the chaos and that's the thing with this demo: There's order within the chaos. To the untrained ear this may sound like a fucking mess, but an attentive listen reveals quite a bit of melody that spits out sorrowful and dark emotions, and there's a slightly discreet atmosphere that just captivates the attention – not quite hypnotic but close.

This is black metal the way it was done in the mid-90s, so no surprises here: Raw, screeching guitars, non-flashy, somewhat repetitive drumming that simply gets the job done, and screechy vocals that rip through the speakers and torture your ears. There are a few low spoken vocals on here, in both English and French – not much of that, just enough to add to the dark, depressing atmosphere. Demo 1996 sounds better than some full-blown studio releases – it might take a couple of listens to sink in, but once you're hooked, it just won't let go.