keskiviikko 18. kesäkuuta 2014

Undead Productions compilation (1996)



Various Artists - Undead Productions compilation tape (March 1996)
1) Enkil - My Final Sunrise
2) Enkil - Mine King and Queen Are Dead
3) Nephilim - Fire Beyond the Black Haze
4) Black Funeral - Ex Sanguini Draculae
5) Black Funeral - The Floating Blue Witchlight
6) Abazagorath - Les Fleurs du Mal
7) Abazagorath - Nightrealm
8) Demoncy - Ascension of a Star Long Since Fallen
9) Darkness Enshroud - Into the Abyss
10) Sorath - The Darkness Returns
11) Sorath - Winterblack and Sorcery Beyond
12) Haborym - The Ancient Land of Serenity
13) Akhkharu - Prey to God
14) Akhkharu - Cosmic Ecstasy
15) Avatar - A Lost City
16) Darkened Skies - In Winters Ancient Slumber
17) Funeral - Night and Fog
18) Mercyful Fate - Satan's Fall

Yandex / Zippy

It's been several months since I last posted a compilation so this would be a decent spot to do so again. Also this is again a contribution from someone, thank you once more! Undead Productions was the label/distro of Enkil's Magnus Thorne. A second volume was supposed to be released in 1997 but I don't know if it actually was. Somehow I'm under the impression it didn't happen. (UPDATE: Wrong, it was released about a year later as confirmed by various sources!) I could use cover scans for this one, all I presently have is the photo of the cover seen above (and the UP logo).

This was dubbed on a 90 minute cassette, as was pretty much the standard back then. It's pretty obvious when you look at the tracklisting that one of the songs is a filler. Well, he might've been a big fan but still it's obvious. I'm kind of reminded of the Sverd Storm #2 compilation. Moving on, there's a bit hiss present but as I always say it just adds to the tape feeling, no? Most of the roster are US black metal bands, the tape starts with Thorne's own project Enkil and related band Nephilim which you'll possibly remember from the old posts. Baron von Abaddon has been given plenty of room too, with two tracks of Black Funeral, one long, rumbling Darkness Enshroud piece and intro+track from Sorath. The only non-US bands on the compilation are Belgian Avatar, with a track from their '94 demo (which is pretty cool) and France's Funeral, later reborn as Kristallnacht. Oh yeah and then there's the Danish bonus artist. Except for the last one, all tracks presented feature a more or less murky demo sound which is a unifying feature. Standouts include Nephilim's track (which seems exclusive to the compilation), Baron's stuff and Akhkharu for being plain awful. Please don't mix this one with the better one associated with DAP. Oh, almost forgot to mention, Darkened Skies is also interesting as I don't seem to find much (well, any) info on them. Would like to hear more. Anyways, check this out especially if you're interested in the 90's USBM.

5 kommenttia:

Anonyymi kirjoitti...

Do you perhaps have Grond - Winterkrieger?

Anonyymi kirjoitti...

You mentioned a second compilation in 1997 and not knowing if ever released. That was in fact released in 1997 and had several of the same bands, plus others like Ghoul, Pantheon, etc.

Velkaarn kirjoitti...

@anon1:

No, I don't have that. You might want to ask mistress Borderline at http://hateful-black-metal-archives.blogspot.com/

anon2:

Ok, I might want to track that one down too. Thanks for letting me know.

Unknown kirjoitti...

I do have the Undead Productions Vol. II cassette. I was just searching some info about it on the internet as I have dug out lots of tapes which have been sitting in boxes stored away for many years and this is one of them. Bands appearing on this one are: Nephilim, Blood Storm, Abazagorath, Ghoul, Epoch of Unlight, Puritas Virginum, Pazuzu, Pantheon, Drohm, Corpus Delecti, Lamentation, Lethal Prayer, Aurora Borealis, Profanum, Epitaph, Seth.

Velkaarn kirjoitti...

@Demoniac SS:

Interesting, do you have a dub of it or an original copy and are you going to rip it perhaps? Pretty sure there isn't going to be much exclusive material but would still be curious to hear it.