Finland’s Demilich are considered a legendary band, yet only released 1 album, the 1993, Nespithe. How can this be?? Well if you have lived under a rock your entire existence and never heard this album, you need to be dealt with.
This is a classic album in the sense that after its release it is still inspiring bands, yet at the time when it came out it was overlooked. This album has been reissued so many times and also remastered by Xtreem Music in a killer reissue several years back. However Demilich have recently uncovered the original source 24 track master recording and now Nespithe gains the ultimate true remaster, which appears on the 1st disc of this 2cd limited pressing. How this was not uncovered sooner is beyond me, I mean when Xtreem Music released this several years ago not sure why Demilich would not have dug up the true masters back then. I think the band is possibly set on making some sort of comeback now and also maybe the fact they were sick of others making $$ off their name, so why not put out the ultimate Demilich boxset, which this most certainly is.
First and foremost, you have not heard Nespithe until you hear this new master. Finally the 20+ years of people complaining there was no little to no bass guitar sound on the original will finally be put in their place. Bass this is Demlich and Demilich this is Mr. Bass-say Hi! “When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water” has never sounded better and by golly finding the bass guitar adds so much more depth and bottom heaviness to the album and Antti’s vox having even more brutality to them. “The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)” also has the bass part in the beginning and the part where it gets faster at a little over a minute, is so wonderful to finally hear. The isolated bass guitar at the 1.45 moment is breathtaking. “Inherited Bowel Levitation – Reduced Without Any Effort”, quite possibly sounds the best with that back ‘n forth part with the isolated guitar part then drums and bass come in thunderously-this is truly when you will sit back in your chair and say Hot Damn-Nespithe never sounder more evil, fuller and wonderful.
Disc 2 is named “Em9t2ness of Van2s1ing / V34ish6ng 0f Emptiness” and contains the rest of their recorded demo history and 3 songs recorded in 2006 that were spectacular. All of disc 2 has also been remastered. And it all sounds great. The reissue has a brand never album cover specifically designed for this release, but don’t worry, the original Nespithe cover is included on the cd tray. The 44 pg booklet took me close to an hour’s length to go through. Inside are lyrics, liner notes, demos covers, pictures, artwork and a very in-depth interview with guitarist/vocalist Antti Bowman, for this release and you will learn a wealth of info on Demilich. Some things I don’t agree with, while his bullfrog vocals were not only amazing, he does say no one in the U.S. were doing that. Very wrong, let me introduce you to ex-Mortal Decay singer, John Paoline who did this style, exactly back at the start of the 90’s. Antti also refers to Iron Maiden as a talentless band, at one point. I was like WTF?? For a band that never had enough material for 2 full albums, he has some balls to talk like that about who I regard as the best heavy metal band of all time. But it’s his opinion and I have mine.
Anyway I really did not go into the Demilich sound much, assuming you heard them before. Anyway, you want to hear where Gorguts would get inspiration from, for The Erosion of Sanity and Obscura, as well as hearing some of the deepest vocals of all time, amazing heavy death metal, with some jazz like passages, combined with an avant garde heaviness/style that had not been heard since Celtic Frost’sInto the Pandemonium, along some vicious blast beats and rumbling heaviness and alien like structured song writing-look no further than Demilich and while we can all wish for them to record a second album someday, it seems like if it has not happened by now to think it will one day is wishful thinking. For now this is the ultimate and fully realized Demilich set that is on vinyl & cd format. A truly extraordinary and beautiful reissue that you need now. Buy or Die!!
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Thanks for the review! Some corrections, though:
– Nespithe is re-mastered from a 24-bit stereo DAT.
– We’re not really plotting on a comeback
– Paoline might actually use the same style, I see. Then again, he may do it in another way. I should get in touch with him and ask about it.
– The Iron Maiden thing was sarcasm, just like so many things in the interviews and liner notes. Iron Maiden are my heroes, and one of the reasons I started playing music. They have also created the best album in the world.
on Apr 17th, 2014 at 05:17Antii-thx for explaining more! I never thought you were plotting a comeback, but sometimes these types of reissues do 1 of 2 things, either brings forth a comeback or since this reissue is perfect, in my opinion, lays to rest the band. Re: Iron Maiden-sometimes some things get lost in translation, during an interview and while I’m one of the most sarcastic people out there, unless one knows someone, it is tough to pick up on that in reading. For me Powerslave is my all time favorite metal album and their first 7 albums are sacred to me. Seen them on tour several times, back in the 80’s and during their wonderful going back in time old school tours the last several yrs. They still are the best live band and in their 50’s and 60’s still destroy. Re Mortal Decay, John was on the first 3 mortal decay demos, Dawn of Misery-92, Grisly Aftermath 93, Brutalizing Creations in 95 and the only Mortal Decay full length he was on was the godly 2002 Forensic. I do not believe he is in the music industry any longer, but I could be incorrect. When I was in Internal Bleeding, back in the 90’s, we played shows with them a lot and John was always one of my favorite singers. Your style, as well, was one of my main influences when I opted to go more guttural on the second Internal Bleeding album, The Extinction of Benevolence, in 97. Anyway here is a link to an old Mortal Decay song with John-‘Rejoice in Moribund’ off the Grisly Aftermath demo. I’ll hit you up in the sumer for an interview! Frank \m/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rj1-ipidpc
on Apr 17th, 2014 at 19:31Antti-sorry about the typo in your name, long day at work today and with my kids. Frank
on Apr 17th, 2014 at 19:32it seriously bothers me when fans of underground metal haven’t heard this band/album and yet feel they’ve “heard it all”
awesome release from one of my fav countries for metal, so glad its been remastered!
on Apr 18th, 2014 at 08:07ikillednoe-thx for reading and your comment, brother! You know don’t get hung up on some people that never heard the album, there is a new generation of youngins now that are just hrg them for the first time. Which is killer so this album can get more exposure. However, yes this album slayed back in the day and this reissue is just beautiful!!I’m so with you regarding Finalnd being one of the best places for metal!! JFC, this year alone, the new Corpsessed is one of my tops this year. By the way, Terry Clark, from the incredible Maveth, has also joined another killer Finnish act-Desolate Shrine!. Frank \m/
on Apr 18th, 2014 at 09:17I was one that never heard this until this reissue. and i cant help feel its a little over rated due to its rarity and prior cult ness rather than its quality ie Pyrexia’ debut
on Apr 18th, 2014 at 18:39Erik-when I first hear this in 93 the music was too advanced for me to appreciate and I had a tough time getting into this. The music is not instantly accessible. They were doing polyrhthms and off kilter signature time changes that were even more advanced than shit that was The Erosion of Sanity, from Gorguts. I loved Antti’s vocals with Demilich the instant I heard him and it’s why I kept going back to the fucking album to listen to it. Now while John, from Mortal Decay, was doing this similar styled vocals at the time, they were on demos. Therefore Nespithe, I believe has the deepest vocals on any record, up until that point. Literally it took me 2-3 years to actually understand their music, there is a lot of shit going on. It’s not like Pyrexia’s Sermon of Mockery, which as soon as you put that on you’re punching holes in walls and remembering the riffs instantly. Nespithe takes some time to get used to. Right around ’96 is when the music clicked for me for some reason and than I was like this shit is fuckin godly. But you know back than their were a lot less bands out there, I had much less responsibilities and did not have kids, so I could listen to albums over and over and over again. With today’s responsibilities and such really if something does not grab me right away I will usually give it a few more spins and than on the shelf it goes, so I Understand your point, but I urge you to give it a few more spins, before shelving it, and let the music sink in, it’s pretty complex and remember this album came out in ’93. Try it a few more times and than let me know if it’s clicking with you. \m/
on Apr 18th, 2014 at 20:05Have you heard Norway;s Diskord? i just got a reissue from them and its very similar.
on Apr 19th, 2014 at 19:23Heard good things but never checked these guys out. Need to rectify that. Diskord is an awesome band.
on Apr 20th, 2014 at 01:47E.Thomas-yes Diskord are a bit similiar, even more progressive, actually, than Demilich. I have the 2cd reissue coming in, as well as their 2nd album, that was recorded in 2012, dystopics. Thx for mentioning this band. Right after you told me about them I previewed their music and was like, ok, order placed. Awesome. Thx again/Frank
on Apr 21st, 2014 at 09:39