Nunslaughter

Demoslaughter

Hells Headbangers 2011

Canadian cult legends Nunslaughter have finally had someone do the world a favor and unleash their entire demo collection in one two disk set.  The promo set only includes the first disk which is their 6 formal demos.  Disk two is rehearsals, outtakes and the pre Nunslaughter band Death Sentence.  So really I will be focusing on the truly important disk in this collection anyways.  The collection starts from earliest and works towards the latest demo and you can trace the developmental arc of Nunslaughter.  The early demos are noisy and raw, sort of like if Beherit were a gore band.  Super fast tempos jump out from everywhere on the early songs, and that seems to be the overriding foundation for these songs.  Just listen to Impale The Soul with its meaty slow sections which are constantly smacked by surges of speed.  Not to mention it seems these songs were recorded in mud.  But that's to be expected from a true "demo."  Starting around track 25, the Face of Evil demo (1995), the songs really grab a sense of cohesion and listenability.  Starting this period is Power of Darkness with its early Relapse approach to death metal.  Midtempo stomps and subterranean riffs bring to mind the early 90s death metal 7"s that were making waves (thinking Rottrevore, Gorephobia, Incantation, etc.).  Up next is Pyre which sounds like a reworked version of Impale The Soul, or at least it is a more listenable attempt at the same themes.  I think you get the picture here.  To be honest though, this collection is mainly for the hardcore Nunslaughter fans (which I am not).  Most people will not find much here that warrants them delving deep into the embryonic stages of this legend.  So unless you are a Nunslaughter completist then you might be somewhat uninspired by this demo compilation.