When doing research for the recently published review of Godkiller’s The Rebirth of the Middle Ages I stumbled upon this earlier demo-proposal by the band. Released the year before the EP, The Warlord consists of a short introductory instrumental piece + two lengthier compositions spanning over ten minutes each. Of particular interest in this context is the second track, entitled “Path to the Unholy Frozen Empire”. Those who’ve previously acquainted themselves with The Rebirth of the Middle Ages will recognize the song by music, lyrics and title as the predecessor to the EP’s centerpiece number, although rawer in presentation. This observation is – by all means – anything but spectacular. More interesting is the fact that the demo features the song in elongated form.

Having more room to breathe and a graced with infinitely more forceful presentation, the demo version is in fact superior to the later work in every aspect. This presents us with the possibility there existing earlier and presumably extended versions of the tracks that ended up on The Rebirth of the Middle Ages. Whether this is the case or not, anyone with a slight interest in Godkiller are strongly recommended to The Warlord to witness the full potential of the selected material. At the time of writing, both of Godkiller’s demos can be downloaded from the band’s official site. So go fetch!

Tags: Black Metal, godkiller, warlord