I got this demo recently and I must say that it is much better than the band's debut album, 'The Mist Soften my Sorrow'. 'Serenades of the Damned' was recorded when Myrkhaal, now in Frozen Shadows , was in the band (on vocals).

The demo is divided in two parts : on the side 'A' are the oldest songs of the band. These songs are more deathish, somewhat like Marduk on 'Dark Endless', but with keyboards and musical complexity.

On the side 'B', the songs are more recent : the keyboards are more present and the death metal influences are gone. In a way, it is a prelude for 'The Mist Soften My Sorrow', but the stuff here is miles away from the debut album, by its high quality. It is more aggressive, and really atmospheric (the atmosphere is hateful and sorrowful). Well, I should say that everything is better : the vocals are more extreme and full of hatred or despair (depends of the song) and the drumming is really fast.

The third song on the side 'B', 'Mourning in the Woods', is a more atmospheric song (even if the end is pretty brutal with guitars and violent drumming), with some flute and great majestic keyboards. This song is very depressive and melancholic and is, in my opinion, the most memorable song of the demo.

Even back in this time, the lyrics were often about vampirism, but they are about Satanism too... I don't really like them all, but they are more Evil than those on 'The Mist Soften My Sorrow'

What about the production? Well, the sound is really, really average and the whole thing was recorded during a rehearsal...

This demo is out of circulation presently, but if you are lucky you could get it via some tape trade...

© 1999 cythrawl