Type: Full-length
Label: Mayking Record
Country: United States
Genre: Death Metal
-written by dismember_marcin of metal-archives.com
DM MASTERPIECE, SADLY SO FORGOTTEN AND UNRELEASED
This feels really weird to have a chance to listen to completely different version of an album that you already have been familiar with for over 15 years. It’s like you’ve been cooking a food with specific recipe for some years and all of a sudden someone decided to put an extra ingredient to it… It’s still the same shit, but at the same time it may taste totally different. This press-testing of fabulous “Dead Shall Inherit” was done in 1991, made in 50 copies only and in many aspects it can be seen as just different album from Baphomet. Why? Well, four of these songs appear on both versions of the album, but most of them (six all together!!!) don’t – that’s already a good reason for finding this recording, isn’t it? And that’s quite a mystery to me – how many songs did Baphomet record in the studio during this one session in 1991 then? Sixteen – ten of them are on this version and ten, including six new ones, on the proper release??!! If so, why did they decide to leave so many songs behind and put six new tracks into the “real” “Dead Shall Inherit”? It's really confusing, so maybe someone can give me some answers here, cause I’d fuckin' like to know!? Of course, 50 copies that were pressed 20 years ago is not many, so if you want to listen to this test-pressing nowadays you can have only two options – and it’s either getting mp3 or tape trading… Or buying a bootleg LP, which I actually bought and I must say it’s really well released, with cool artwork, etc, maybe it only lacks a bit of information, but the sound quality is very good.
But the tracklisting of this test pressing is one thing, another reason for getting this version is simply because it sounds totally different than the “normal” “Dead Shall Inherit” LP. The sound difference is really big and as someone who knows shit about studio works, I’m pretty surprised that changing mastering and mixing can have such an effect on the music. Obviously the classic “Dead Shall Inherit” LP sounds totally more brutal, heavier, more “meaty” and professionally. This test-pressing from the other hand has a wonderful raw edge, which makes it so powerful that I just love it! To be honest with you, the production of “Dead Shall Inherit” is not my favourite one; it’s fine and good, but maybe a bit too polished, so here – with that raw, uncompromising sound - these songs got an extra flavour and energy. It's more or less like a demo, but with really merciless production. And the songs sound killer, in some cases maybe better that the actual album - and that's despite the more primitive feeling this recording has!!!
The blasting opener “Animation of the Dead”, followed by two of the highlights, “Infection of Death” and “Torn Soul” present a band that was by then fully matured and which had I think by that time their own style. Sure, it might resemble such acts like Cancer and even Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation, as all these groups perform brutal, but groovy death metal. But Baphomet has something unique in their sound that I think is just their own trademark. It could be easily recognised just by the characteristic vocals of Tom Frost, who growls like no one else! And also the riffs – they're total headbangers; they’re brutal and classic, often violently fast, sometimes massively slow, but many of them are so catchy and energetic that you won’t have other choice but just bang your skull without mercy and destroy everything that’s around you. Also the ever-present and active bass gives an additional feeling, as its barbaric tone is just amazing! In the end, I have to be honest with you – in my opinion this test-pressing of “Dead Shall Inherit” is maybe even better than the real album; it’s more fierce, more powerful and I like the sound better (mind that I still think that the real album version of “Dead…” is great anyway!). This is severe, damn intense album – just listen to “Broken Krypt” – it might be one of the fastest death metal tracks from that time! So, I can only feel saddened that so many great songs were left unreleased. I don’t know if they’ll ever be released again, but it would be damn cool to have a well released LP of it, not just a bootleg.
But the tracklisting of this test pressing is one thing, another reason for getting this version is simply because it sounds totally different than the “normal” “Dead Shall Inherit” LP. The sound difference is really big and as someone who knows shit about studio works, I’m pretty surprised that changing mastering and mixing can have such an effect on the music. Obviously the classic “Dead Shall Inherit” LP sounds totally more brutal, heavier, more “meaty” and professionally. This test-pressing from the other hand has a wonderful raw edge, which makes it so powerful that I just love it! To be honest with you, the production of “Dead Shall Inherit” is not my favourite one; it’s fine and good, but maybe a bit too polished, so here – with that raw, uncompromising sound - these songs got an extra flavour and energy. It's more or less like a demo, but with really merciless production. And the songs sound killer, in some cases maybe better that the actual album - and that's despite the more primitive feeling this recording has!!!
The blasting opener “Animation of the Dead”, followed by two of the highlights, “Infection of Death” and “Torn Soul” present a band that was by then fully matured and which had I think by that time their own style. Sure, it might resemble such acts like Cancer and even Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation, as all these groups perform brutal, but groovy death metal. But Baphomet has something unique in their sound that I think is just their own trademark. It could be easily recognised just by the characteristic vocals of Tom Frost, who growls like no one else! And also the riffs – they're total headbangers; they’re brutal and classic, often violently fast, sometimes massively slow, but many of them are so catchy and energetic that you won’t have other choice but just bang your skull without mercy and destroy everything that’s around you. Also the ever-present and active bass gives an additional feeling, as its barbaric tone is just amazing! In the end, I have to be honest with you – in my opinion this test-pressing of “Dead Shall Inherit” is maybe even better than the real album; it’s more fierce, more powerful and I like the sound better (mind that I still think that the real album version of “Dead…” is great anyway!). This is severe, damn intense album – just listen to “Broken Krypt” – it might be one of the fastest death metal tracks from that time! So, I can only feel saddened that so many great songs were left unreleased. I don’t know if they’ll ever be released again, but it would be damn cool to have a well released LP of it, not just a bootleg.
90/100
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