Demilich – Nespithe

One of the best sounding death metal releases! I wonder how this records managed to survive through decades not spoiled by engineers. How could it happen to record it so natural. Very roomy, breathing, live, atmospheric. Cover art quality deserves much less praise. Very blurry rescan from CD with noticeable grains of halftone screen.

Demilich is a band with a very expressive identity and uniqueness, which was able to record one of the most extraordinary Death Metal albums of its time. This release will soon turn 30 years old, but it still remains the only one of its kind, authoritative and unsured original. This record is full of hypnotizing harmonies and otherworldly energy, it combines filigree technique, compositional talent and a wave of genuine inspiration. It is fair to note that in some ways this album was ahead of its contemporaries and was not received properly, but this is the true underground that is able to challenge established cliches and blast into dust any expectations of the audience.

The reissue from Svart turned out to be quite simple in of packaging but absolutely excellent in sound. The original artwork was used for the design, but it objectively lacks sharpness and looks quite blurry. On the one hand, this album was released with two different artwork, which was normally accepted by fans. However, in the case of the cover for the vinyl edition, such a blurry version looks inappropriate to the level of the band and the significance of the album. The edition is also supplemented with a concise single insert with texts and minimal information. In general, this press does not have the best design with the available capabilities, at least even the regular edition could be supplemented with some commemorative materials. As for the color of the vinyl, it turned out to be peculiar and looks nice, although it does not quite match the tones of the main design.

With subjective design flaws, the sound turned out to be just fantastic. This mastering sounds as good as Demilich's potential can be revealed at all (DR11). A powerful, rich, dynamic sound with a lot of details, whether it's a muscular bass, twisted guitars, polyrhythms of drums or a real depth of guttural vocals. This press is a great example of how you can reissue an album that was released on disc thirty years ago, and it will sound crushing. Personally, for me, this is one of the best Death Metal albums of all time. And in of the sound on vinyl, expectations are not just justified - they are exceeded.

Awesome sound - deep, rich and (super)natural. The good way to enjoy this masterpiece.