Demontuary Of the Fallen Years
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
The third in Heaven & Hell’s Lost Relics reissue series, Of the Fallen Years, is a collection of rare early material by the American black metal band now known as Demontuary. Before a series of lineup changes prompted the name change, Demontuary, which features Witches Mark guitarist Steve Perez, was known as Of the Fallen, and had built a reputation in American black metal circles.
Of the Fallen Years collects all of the available Of the Fallen recordings, including the original 1997 6-song self-titled demo – which was released in very limited quantities and is still sought after by collectors – and the 1999 7-song follow-up Ancient Gods of Battles Past. The inclusion of this latter release is particularly noteworthy because only a handful of discs – all unlicensed – were issued. The CD also includes a band biography, rare photos and the original demo artwork, all under a very striking cover image.
It’s striking to hear the difference between the two demos. Both are very well-crafted slabs of Norwegian-inspired, battle-themed black metal, but the band definitely progressed in the years between the two releases. Of the Fallen is a more traditional black metal release, though the band wisely skipped the typical Satanic trappings (no corpsepaint) and lo-fi production in favor of a fierce, very aggressive sound that incorporated death metal elements and even some hints of traditional metal. With Ancient Gods of Battles Past, Of the Fallen took a more epic and melodic approach. It was still undeniably fierce, but in the way later Emperor and mid-career Dimmu Borgir releases were. The songs are longer, incorporate symphonic elements and show a higher degree of technicality.
Demontuary/Of the Fallen were anything but a typical black metal band. If you’re a black metal fan looking for something that tests the boundaries of the genre, or just a black-hearted gem you might have missed the first time around, you would do well to check out Of the Fallen Years.
Genre: Black Metal
Band:
Jon Quick (v) (k)
Steve Perez (g)
Scott Palmer (d)
Daniel Turner (b)
Track Listing:
1. From the Depths
2. Thou Art the Flame
3. Shores of the Damned
4. Days of Infernal Insanity
5. Spirits of the Dark Waters
6. Outro
7. Infinite Twilight
8. Dawn of the Blackest Sun
9. Writhe in Vengeance
10. For Those Who Died
11. Desolation and War
12. Ancient Gods of Battles Past
13. Journey’s End
Label: Heaven & Hell
Website: www.myspace.com/demontuary666
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10