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Eucharist – A Velvet Creation [Re-Release]

eucharist – a velvet creation [re-release]

Info

Although the band made quite an impressive entry to the Swedish Death Metal scene with their demo tape from 1992, simply called ‘Demo 1’ and the ‘Greeting Immortality’ 7” EP, which featured two tracks taken of that demo tape, Eucharist never really got on their collective bikes. Main reason was splitting up several times and some internal struggles which led to some musicians to leave the band. But, Wrong Again Records persuaded the band to record a full-length album and this materialized in ‘A Velvet Creation’. An album that was originally released in 1993 but also saw the band disbanding once again straight after its release.

A more in depth history of the band can be read in the review done for the ‘The Demo Years 1989 – 1992’ compilation, found elsewhere on out VM-Underground pages. Yet, that history is playing a significant role in the way the album turned out. It is not too complicated to understand how the band was during the recording of ‘A Velvet Creation’. Although the riffs and the musicality have not really suffered from those troubled early years, the band does not seem to be in focus and the sound of the album in particular is very tame.

Eucharist can be seen as one of the early architects of the well-known Gothenburg sound: a less heavy, non-Skogsbergen and more melody driven sound that would push bands like At The Gates, In Flames and Dark Tranquillity to great heights. The foundations of Eucharist were actually better captured in their demo works than on ‘A Velvet Creation’, though it is a clear step up in terms of song writing, the impact is marginalized due to a underwhelming production and overall sound, which is as thin as blotting paper.

But once you have managed to get used to it, ‘A Velvet Creation’ offers a great collection of riffs and musical ideas. Melodic and with a slight touch of (equally) Melodic Black Metal, a sound that bands like Dissection would later perfect to sheer genius. It also bears a certain atmosphere that can easily be labelled unique, due to the lack of a solid production the sense melancholy of Eucharist is presented at their best on ‘A Velvet Creation’.

It is needless to say that ‘A Velvet Creation’ is not quite a classic, at least not in the sense of the other albums in the genre of the aforementioned bands, or like their own sophomore album, ‘Mirrorworlds’, which can rightfully be considered one of the best Melodic Death Metal albums ever made. Still, out of a historical point of view, ‘A Velvet Creation’ proved to be an important stepping stone in the development of the band’s own trademark sound. A sound that is as little polished as it can get within the boundaries of Melodic Gothenburg Death Metal. With that in mind, a re-release of the album is more than justified.