For those who appreciate Black Metal with an occult edge and a majestic sound, it is almost impossible not to have Varathron’s ‘His Majesty at the Swamp’, and ‘Walpurgisnacht’, in their collection. Many have probably also hesitated whether to file the ‘The Black Arts / The Everlasting Sins’ split, under Varathron or Necromantia. But before those fantastic releases, Stefan Necroabyssious, Jim Mutilator (at that time also in Rotting Christ) and co. put out their first demo called ‘Procreation of the Unaltered Evil’, in 1989, a year after they started. As was standard in those days, it was released on cassette. Strangely enough, this first strike has never been reissued as a standalone release in the past 35 years, only as an addition on compilations for example.
Apparently, Necroabyssious was very keen to re-release the demo in a proper way, but he needed the right partner to make it happen. That partner turned out to be Wolfkult Religion, and together they have given ‘Procreation of the Unaltered Evil’, a well-deserved second life using a limited 7” with an old-school 12-page booklet packed with old photos, flyers, handwritten notes and text.
Regarding the Greek scene, it is widely known that Rotting Christ was the earliest in terms of formation year, even without counting their start as Black Church. But if you look at the first release that helped shape the classic Greek sound, ‘Procreation of the Unaltered Evil’, definitely belongs there, given the more Grindcore-influenced style that Rotting Christ preferred in their early days.
With ‘Necranastasis’, as the opening track, you can hear the building blocks being laid for the foundation of the band, where their musical style still rests upon, as well as the Greek Black Metal sound that fully expanded between 1992 and 1995 and has seen a total comeback in recent years. The fast Thrash parts stand out on this track compared to the first two full-lengths, bringing to mind a mix of 80s Teutonic Thrash, early Slayer (during the solo), Sarcófago’s ‘Alcoholic Coma’, and Sepultura’s ‘Morbid Visions / Bestial Devastation’. That approach of playing just a fraction faster than you actually can perform, making it sound at least slightly unpolished. Personally, I think it is great, full of charm and a true part of the era’s spirit. The slower passages offer more of that typical Varathron atmosphere combined with old Samael and Celtic Frost/Hellhammer. The shifting distortion on the vocals also hints at another Greek underground act; Necromancy.
‘Dawn of Sordid Decay’, is much shorter than ‘Necranastasis’, running at 3 minutes compared to 6 and a half, but the characteristics described above can be applied directly. Overall, it is a demo whose importance should not be overlooked.
I can see how Necroabyssious envisioned this as the proper re-release the demo deserves. This is truly an excellent piece of history for followers of the old Greek scene and Black Metal in general.
