So I have to get this out there straight away: I don’t own a single Nunslaughter release. I know, it’s unbelievable that this so-called metalhead hasn’t been able to get his act together enough to buy a single one of their million or so releases. Pathetic. Well in my defence, and to try not to come across as a total poser/moron, I was actually going to delve into this band’s back catalogue via a trusty mail order company a few years back. But then, said mail order company vanished in a cloud of purple noxious gas before I could place my order, and that was that. Okay, so maybe now I’m trying too hard to sound like I have an iota of metal credibility, but it’s true! Today then, you can imagine how happy I am to be sitting in front of a compilation featuring various vinyl splits/EPs from the band’s early phase. (Note that when released, this CD package will also contain virtually all the band’s ‘Hell on…’ live series, which I don’t have for review here.)
First up is material from the band’s 1997 split 7” with Bloodsick; ‘INRI’ kicking off my journey into the world of Nunslaughter. This track is a pacey one, alternating between grind and punk madness. Overall there’s an extremely underground vibe to the recording, which to me at least has a bit of Order From Chaos about it. The following track slows things down a bit into some morbid groove – a style which recurs throughout the compilation – while a cover of Sacrifice’s ‘Sacrifice’ ends the first segment in punishingly brutal fashion. As a first acquaintance with this band, three things stick out: the music is inexorable in that 80s speed/death way; the vocals are crazed; and tracks seem as if they are gone as soon as they started. Next are three songs from the band’s ’98 split with Dekapitator, with its rawer, harder edge. As before, the pace varies: ‘Emperor in Hell’ is methodical next to ‘Demons Gate’, which blasts away in the name of all that is dark and evil, while ‘Bring Me the Head of God’ ups the blasphemous ante with gleeful lyrics like ‘You know his son / He’s upon the Cross’.
As if their name isn’t indication enough, the belligerence of Nunslaughter’s music and lyrics will consistently leave you in no doubt whatsoever as to who their spiritual champion is. ‘Devil Metal’ and ‘Black Beast’ from the 1999 split with Crucifer cover that base, with the former featuring some vocals which are best described as ‘Cronos enraged’. My favourite from this batch of tracks, however, is the brilliantly titled ‘If the Dead Could Speak’, whose evil stench must have incapacitated countless record decks over the years. Up to this point, there is a surprising cohesion to the assembled snippets – both musically and production-wise. Where things begin to get noticeably more underground is that same year’s ‘Blood Devil’ EP. The thudding drum sound is my particular favourite aspect, as exemplified in the blasting at the start of ‘Church Bizarre’ but there are some very cool tunes like ‘Midnight Mass’ (which hints at the bleakness and blackness of Incantation) and the triumphal ‘It Is I’. In keeping with this thicker, darker sound then comes the ‘Trifurcate’ EP from 2000…
Okay, so the opening track on it is not in fact an Arthur Brown cover, but Nunslaughter’s ‘Fire’ is predictably scorching nonetheless. The layer of murk on ‘Trifurcate’ renders it not only the most obscure offering so far, but also my favourite alongside ‘Blood Devil’. From the dark groove and tight-picked riffs of ‘Obsessed with Visions of a Satanic Priest’ to the cool double bass in ‘Atheist Ways’, there is some pure brilliance to be found here. On top of that, lyrics such as ‘You never wondered how witches fly?’ do a lot to reinforce the nuttiness of this band’s thrashing death metal. Final track, the Venom-ous ‘The Fucking Witch’ truly is the fucking business. In contrast to this gem, I was immediately dumbfounded by the rough sound of ‘She Lives by Night’ on 2002’s split with Destruktor. And it only made sense once the sound of punters emerged at the end of the track. Most notable of all is Don of the Dead’s between song banter, particularly his grim ‘Did you find my lunch out there on the floor?’ line. Otherwise, it’s what you would expect of an underground live recording: frenetic and muffled.
Where things become really obscure though is the end of this collection. First up is a rehearsal from 1987, which as you can imagine, is just what it sounds like. From the opening notes of ‘I Am Death’, callused ears or a fetish for lo-fi recording are necessary. What’s most interesting about these four rehearsal tracks is that the musical intensity of Nunslaughter has clearly been at the same uncompromising level since day one. If anything, the tracks here are even faster, with some of it comparable to early black metal demos while other aspects recall Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (put through a mangler). Having cleared the encrusted blood from my ears following that ’80s onslaught, I was expecting something a little more civilised from 1990’s ‘Killed By the Cross’ EP. Instead what I got was the most bizarre and indiscernible recording of the bunch! What little you can hear of the musical violence is buried beneath an impenetrable crust; as if they placed their recording equipment at the bottom of a toilet bowl and then began playing. The end result is instruments which sound like they’re made of rubber.
Surrealism aside, ‘The Devil’s Congeries Vol 1’ is a really well-conceived release, which I can imagine die-hard Nunslaughter fans have been waiting for. The convenience of having a vast swathe of their myriad vinyl releases in a 2 CD package cannot be argued with – especially as finding the original versions now must be impossible. If, like myself, you haven’t already checked out the band, then again, it is an excellent starting point. For the concept, it has to be 10/10. With regard to the music presented throughout, it’s obviously a bit of a mixed bag overall. Personally the opening split offerings were enough to convert me to Nunslaughter straight away, but the two EPs absolutely cemented my newfound faith. While I wouldn’t describe them as nonessential or completely unlistenable, the live tracks and last two segments are probably best left for the true Nunslaughter maniacs out there.
(8/10 Jamie)
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