ALBUM REVIEW: Mütiilation – The Lost Tapes

Here I review a fascinating series of lost demo / rehearsal tracks from Mutiilation which Osmose Productions are releasing to the world for the first time on December 24th!

1. Transylvania opens with grisly speech, bleak and cold guitars filed over barrages of blasting drums and such an evil atmospheric vibe to everything that is just gorgeous. The magnificent malevolence of the music is so perfectly captured in this live recording that sends chills through me. There is a bittersweet melancholy coupled beautifully with the aggression that is so damn grotesque but in a totally brilliant way. This opening song was a monolith of sheer darkness and utterly glorious to behold while being very unsettling too.
2. To The Memory Of The Dark Countess follows on with more churning and static riffs that really hit hard in a way that is reminiscent of the early 90s demos from Scandinavia and other European countries. The drum beats give regularity beneath the transcendentally dark and ferocious riffs, topped with hideously snarled vocals. This is some of the strongest and most emotive Black Metal from Mutiilation that I have heard that just feels like a dense fog of insanity and depravity alike. Fantastic!
3. Black Imperial Blood grinds in with more menacing riffs, berating drums and absolutely disturbing vocals. The music is true extremity, while it may not be the most “brutal” or whatever, it is emotionally intense and filled with viscerally crushing songwriting. The icy soundscapes are created so beautifully and intensely with a dissonant precision that is entirely captivating, enticing and hypnotic to listen to. Wonderful track, once again.
4. Born Under The Master’s Spell plunges us into more barrages of darkness and blisteringly evil music. The chaotic, frenzied and grisly attack is just so impacting to listen to that it really does catch you off guard. The primal hatred fuelling the song does so with total strength while retaining a hopeless and self-loathing vibe at the same time, at least to my ear. This song just hammers out aggression and disdain with such haste. There is also a new element introduced on this track, the use of more melodic riffs that sound equally killer and add a new dimension to the music. Another brilliant piece of music!
5. Through The Funeral Maelstrom Of Evil fires out more contempt with beautifully atmospheric riffs, filled with melancholy and incredibly tasteful songwriting. The drumming sounds killer and the snarled vocals top it off perfectly. The chanting style of vocals are something that I first heard as a young teenager from Attila in Mayhem and I have loved since, here is a great example of them being put to great use. This track really hits all the right spots once again for me, a total opus of dismal chaos that was absolutely haunting, great work!
6. My Travels To Sadness, Hate & Depression is the final chance this demo has to deliver purely emotional Black Metal madness, and I already know it will succeed. Starting with feedback before delving back into solitude this song evidently will be offering us one more venture into sheerly bleak and misanthropic Black Metal. The upbeat drums, grisly riffs and gut-wrenching vocals decimate any positivity you may have felt, taking darkness to new heights for one last time. A truly magnificent finishing piece.

This demo features Mutiilation in a cold, raw and totally honest light. While the production may be off-putting to some, I found it to be incredibly enjoyable, truly heartfelt and down-to-Earth. -8/10