When I first listened to this CD, my initial reaction was not one of being impressed. The CD had some good qualities, but nothing really stood out, with the exception of the drumming. The songs themselves had this sameness to them (although I did find the acoustic parts to be quite enjoyable). The drumming, on the other hand, immediately grabbed my attention. At first, I was quite annoyed with them - they are rather high in the mix, and aren't altogether cohesive. The sheer chaoticness of them was something which grated on me - it was almost as if the drummer was about to lose control of his kit at any moment...but upon repeated listens, I actually started to *enjoy* them. The very fact that they sound so close to being "out of control" gives the band an edge, and helps push the music into new regions. I can't quite tell if this is an amateur drummer trying to overextend his abilities, or a seasoned pro deciding to really let loose, but either way, this works in a big way. The music itself is summed up pretty well in the bands bio : a cross between Abigor and Dissection...the chaoticness of (early) Abigor is fully present, but the songs have a somewhat melodic quality at times which does harken back to Dissection (The Somberlain period mind you, not SoTLB era). I also sensed something else in there, but couldn't quite put my finger on it - sort of along the lines of a noisy old school feel to some of it, although not at all in the "retro" sort of way that everyone's been jumping on recently. The playing on the CD is capable, but nothing to write home about (which is fine with me, as I find that once one becomes overly proficient in an instrument, that's when wankerousness sets in, and technical prowess becomes more important that actually writing a good song). The vocals are of the throaty/screetchy variety we've all become familiar with, and suit the music very well. Overall quality is actually pretty high - not too slick in sound (this is after all a demo pressed on CD), but not messy to the point of being unlistenable.

So is this worth picking up ? Well, if you order it right from the band, you can pick this up for a mere $5 (tape versions are also available for $3), and for that price, I heartily recommend this...but beware, on some distros that carry this, I've seen it marked up as high as $11!!! Fans of *EARLY* Abigor and Emperor take note especially - this is right up your alley in my opinion...

contact:
Erasmus
c/o Chris Lundon
1510 Elmhurst Drive N.E.
Cedar Rapids, IA
52402-4766
phone: (319) 365-6250

© 1998 chorazaim