Our paths should certainly have crossed a lot more as Mysticum are innovators who were responsible for combing two of my favourite types of music namely black metal (of the Norwegian persuasion) and industrial. However this is the only recorded output that I actually have and it is a bit of a late start seeing as their discography stretches back to the early 90s and their highly regarded ‘Streams Of The Inferno’ album came out in 1996. Still I am luckier than many as I actually got the chance to see the band when they joined Marduk and Gehenna on the Heaven Shall Burn tour in 96. The poster for it is still on the wall so it would have been impossible for me to have forgotten. Sadly the ravages of time mean that any real details of the performance are distant fleeting memories.
Peaceville have recently signed the re-activated band for the long anticipated Planet Satan album and in the meantime that has given them ample opportunity to re-issue the past stuff including these ‘Lost Masters Of The Universe’ (Hawkwind fans spot the play on words) which originally saw the light of darkness on Planet Satan Revolution Records (suspect the bands own) in 2004. There’s a wealth of material on this 72 minute disc which takes in their early demos stretching right back to 1993. Some songs are repeated but as advancements are made in the recording and no doubt the bands skill this does not make this any the less interesting and indeed the early works which have been polished up from the original recordings are well worth a listen as despite the still primitive recordings there are a few surprises in store. I really enjoyed the tracks that make up the ‘Wintermass’ demo from 1993 partly due to the fact that the band were still finding their feet and were certainly finding success in nailing a format that many others from Aborym, Diabolicum to Blacklodge would eventually follow. The recording and the bestial reverb on the vocals and drum booms on Wintermass itself make you think of a pack of (were)wolves looking for human prey in icy snowbound forests. Songs are fairly long but are well developed and despite the limitations of drum machine really make their mark and no doubt prove why these early demos were held in high regard. As for the cymbal clashes on ‘Father Beyond’ the first time I heard these they scared the bejesus out of me.
The second segment comprises of the Medusa’s Tears demo also of 1993. This four track retains the snarling hungry and cold sound of its predecessor which it followed hot on the heels of. Guitars are like razor-wire on songs such as Into The Crypt Of Fear (Rays had been taken) and there are some eccentric vocals that sound utterly deranged as if the singer had been partaking in those black magic mushrooms they also put into song form at a later time.
The record label have changed the listing from the original, which had various tracks taken off different collaborations and compilations and decided to jump onto the 1995 amusingly entitled ‘Piss Off’ demo for the rest of the disc. As ‘The Rest’ flurries in it is obvious that this is a much sharper mix with more treble definition and it really puts the industrial black rave elements forward with more clarity. You can feel as though you have been thrust into the middle of a neon, ultra violet, Day-Glo satanic mass and as it was some time around this that I saw the band I am sort of remembering it as being a pretty trippy affair. A “you know what she did your cunting daughter’ sample certainly does this no harm even if the Sex Gang Children got their years before with it on Dieche.
I have really enjoyed this compilation and if you get it and the ‘Streams’ album it will pretty much give you everything that the band have ever done on the two discs. Naturally it is going to be 20 years since some of these recordings when the aforementioned Planet Satan hopefully gets a release. Their manager claims on the bands Facebook page that the studio has been booked in a short to the point statement this September so we wait patiently for one of the most highly anticipated releases in black metal history. Until then this will do nicely.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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