Iniquity – Serenadium

Shit, another Teufel recommendation from over a decade ago. I guess he kind knows what hes talking about. Anyway, Iniquity were a brutal but groovy death metal band from Denmark, and Serenadium came out in 1996. The band garnered some notoriety and popularity with follow up albums Grime and Five Across the Eyes, but by then they had cleaned up  become more technical and clean, (but no less awesome). But it’s their raw, almost Stockholm meets Suffocation sounding debut that’s harder to find, despite a re-issue in 2003 on Denmark’s Die Hard Records. It was almost completely overlooked in 1996 amid  the US and Swedish death metal saturation, but to this day the release stands as one of the genre’s best but most overlooked albums. A new cover (for the love of god), a slight tweak in the sound would fit right in with the current slew of old school death metal re-issues. Dark Descent Records? Abyss Records? – are you reading this?

Lykathea Aflame – Elvenefris.

I was lucky enough to score this CD at an internet trading site called ‘thesilentenigma’. Lord knows, how I scored a copy 8 years ago, ‘cos ill be damned if this is a hard CD to find, even with original label, Obscene Production re-issuing it themselves last year. One could argue that with all the classic metal albums that everyone lists over time (Left Hand Path, Slowly we Rot, Altars of Madness etc), that the 90s are where its at. However, Lykathea Aflame arguably release one of the most perfect if not the best album of the 00’s with Elvenefris. It’s one of those albums that those in the know nod knowingly to each other about with smug superiority, and when its introduced to a new listener, its a gratifying response to the epic, grinding middle eastern death metal vortex, that’s as creative and unique as it is brutal. It stuns me this is a still as hard to find as it is considering that’s its legacy has grown exponentially since its release, and how brilliant it STILL is today. I’ve recent seen a used original press for $75 on amazon but occasional copies crop up at distros, so keep your eye open and sell whatever body item you can spare to get this, until it gets a proper worldwide re-release, that everyone has access to.

 The Pax Cecilia – Nouveau/Blessed are the Bonds

If Dark Descent Records can release a collection of obscure demos (i.e Timeghoul), then I can vouch for these two self released demos/EPs. Released to critical acclaim in 2005 and 2007 respectively, The Pax Cecilia was the brain child of one Kent Wilson. He self released and self promoted both efforts and his form of artistic experimental and classically inspired  scream0/post rock/black metal was brilliant. The last I heard, The Pax Cecilia was no more and these two FREE releases are now out of print (though you can get downloads) making it even more imperative they get a re-do. When you take into account a current scene that laps up the likes of The Circle Takes the Square, So Hideous, My Love and Deafheaven, it blows my mind that The Pax Cecilia didn’t get signed and a bigger audience get to hear a truly ambitious, creative band. If I had a record label- I would package these two EPs together and release with a new cover and allow Wilson to expand on the already Shakespeare-ian lyrics.

Pyrexia – Sermon of Mockery

I know there was a quick (but still hard to find-so what was the fucking point?) reissue in 1999 a mere 6 years after the original, but  I’ve seen the original Drowned Productions release on ebay for $ 180- that’s just fucking ridiculous.  I think this is one of those releases that gets a level of notoriety because of how rare it is, not how good it is. So someone should just make the debut of what was essentially a really good Suffocation clone readily available and stop the madness.

Suffocation – Breeding the Spawn

Speaking of Suffocation,  here’s the fucking obvious one. Death metal and Suffocation fans have been clamoring for a redo of Suffocation‘s second album since it came out in 1993. Long regarded as a black mark on an other wise legendary early career, it’s one criticism was it tinny, dry production. Especially when compared to the debut EP and seminal Effigy of the Forgotten, which by the way gave both been either re-issued, put on compilations/best ofs and are far more readily available, as are the rest of Suffocation‘s releases. But there seems to be a stubbornness from either the band or Roadrunner to give this album another go around with a better production. And though there are few CD copies to be found in the 15-30m dollar range on ebay, no one want to pay that much for an album that sounds like it was recorded in a shoebox. Someone fucking fix this- Relapse? Nuclear Blast?

Other potential candidates were Disillusion‘s The Porter EP, Krallizec‘s Origin, and The Fifth Sun‘s The Moment of Truth.