The American death metal scene put out so many releases during the 1990s that I could potentially talk about them for years. Here are a few more. First up is Abiosis, a short-lived death/thrash band from California that got a bit heavier on their second and last demo. After that is Carnal Dissection, an excellent New York death metal band created by former members of Tirant Sin. Following them up is Demigore, an obscure Floridian band that is heavily inspired by Deicide. Finally, we have Eternal Torment, another New York death metal band whose work featured a lot of great breakdowns.
Abiosis (US, CA) - Abiosis
Abiosis was another one of those obscure bands that emerged in the American death metal scene during the early-'90s but never managed to get off the ground. They released their self-titled demo in February 1992, and it leans more towards the death/thrash side of things. They sound like a more extreme version of Bay Area thrash most of the time. Drummer Lincoln Lucas spends a large portion of the runtime playing skank beats. These are then broken up by stomping mid-paced rhythms that occasionally feature thumping double bass. Unfortunately, I can't really hear Cisco Alcazar's bass work, so I can't say anything about it. Frontman Dan Nicholson performs a sick mid-ranged growl that makes him sound undead. Joining Dan on guitars is Curtis Gray. Their palm-muted riffs are quite aggressive, but even more violent are the frenetic flailing arpeggios during the fast-paced parts that almost sound like grindcore. When things slow down, the play chugging riffs that remind me of Slayer's various breakdowns. My favorite ones are those near the end of "Biolythic Plague." Overall, this was a pretty decent demo.
Abiosis (US, CA) - The Killing
In November 1992, Abiosis released The Killing, their only other demo. They took the formula they created on their first demo and made it heavier. The approach was simple but effective. Their breakdowns have gotten a lot darker and more menacing, almost reminding me of Autopsy at times. Lincoln Lucas still plays a lot of skank beats, but now he plays creeping rhythms during the aforementioned breakdowns. There are even a few moments when he plays true blast beats. I can hear Cisco Alacazar's bass work a bit better this time. He mainly follows the guitars, but his riffs make the music much more heavy. Dan Nicholson's growls have also gotten deeper. It's obvious that he had been listening closely to Chris Reifert and other similar vocalists. Both he and Curtis Gray play many of the same riffs - palm-muted riffs, fast-paced arpeggios, and the like - but now their chugging riffs sound more akin to those in death metal. They even play some nice doom/death riffs on "Requiem Mass." This demo is definitely better than their first. If you wish to listen to both of them, they can be found on the 2017 compilation Absence of Life.
Carnal Dissection - Carnal Dissection
Carnal Dissection was a Buffalo, New York death metal band that was created by former members of Tirant Sin and Baphomet in 1991. They lasted two years and released two demos before splitting up. Despite being so short-lived and putting out so little material, they are highly respected by devoted death metal enjoyers, for their discography was compiled and re-released on three separate occasions.
Just like so many other death metal bands from New York, Carnal Dissection's formula is largely mid-paced and focuses heavily on groove. Drummer Sam Lomando plays a lot of strong and steady mid-paced rhythms that sometimes include thumping double bass. In certain places he will slow things down even further and play doom-like patterns. On special occasions he will play fierce blast beats, and he also includes plenty of nice fills. Bassist Rich Ziegler (who also designed the band's logo) mainly follows the guitars, but he still puts on a great performance that makes the music even heavier.
Vocalist Dennis John Glinski performs a hoarse growl that sounds like an evolved form of a hardcore style shout. They're performed extremely well and fit in nicely with the rest of the music. The guitars are played by Tom Bukowski and Steve Rzepka. Both of them are former Baphomet members, which explains the songwriting's breakdown-centric nature. Heavy chugging riffs are commonplace, and they play some drawn-out, atmospheric chords during the slow parts. Sometimes they'll pick up the pace and play some vicious palm-muted riffs. They also include plenty of groovy chord progressions throughout.
The songwriting on this demo was very simple, but the end result was very enjoyable. The grooves and breakdowns are heavy and have aged quite well.
Carnal Dissection - Gore
In the later half of 1992, Carnal Dissection released Gore, their only other demo. They disbanded one year later. They also recorded another demo called Disemboweled shortly before their dissolution, but that would not see the light of day until 2016.
I was surprised to see that they started off the demo with melodic yet ominous clean guitars. It stands in stark contrast to the rest of the music. The band took the formula they created and iterated upon it. It sounds heavier and the songwriting is more polished. Drummer Sam Lomando still plays plenty of slow and simple beats, but he also offers up a greater quantity of mid-paced rhythms stuffed full of double bass. He also includes a larger number of fills. Rich Ziegler's bass work is not only more prominent, but also more refined. This is especially evident on songs like "Dissected Flesh."
Dennis John Glinski's growls sound even more akin to hardcore this time around, but I still enjoyed them. Both Tom Bukowski and Steve Rzepka left the band, so they were replaced by some guy called Chuck Wilkening (referred to in the liner notes as Chuck Wilky). Aside from a short stint in some obscure band called Dropgod, he did not do anything else. The band took a big risk by recruiting a complete unknown, but it paid off in the end. He stays true to the formula, playing many of the same chugging riffs, groovy chord progressions, and slow chords that made the first demo so enjoyable. The palm-muted riffs he plays during the mid-paced sections also exhibit a bit of Death influence. His chugging riffs are some of the most lively and infectious I've ever heard. The ones that show up near the end of "Bathe in Vomit" are a marvel to behold.
This is one of the best death metal demos I've heard in a long time. It's New York death metal at its finest. The band's work is readily available on YouTube and Bandcamp, so you have no excuse not to listen to them.
Demigore - Imortification
Demigore is another one of those obscure death metal bands that sprouted from the enchanted Floridian soil in the early-1990s. They released just one demo in 1993 called Imortification before splitting up. Their most notable member is Kevin Backhaus, who used to be the bassist for the thrash metal band Fatal Sin. It also featured Kevin Sedore, who would briefly play in Resurrection in 1994. Not much else is known about these guys.
The band launches into a blistering assault as soon as you press play. Musically, they sound similar to Deicide. Drummer Kevin Sedore plays some nice blast beats on occasion, but he spends most of the runtime delivering prowling mid-paced rhythms that occasionally feature rumbling double bass and are always punctuated by tight fills. Sometimes he'll play some galloping rhythms, and other times he will increase the tempo even further and throw in skank beats. Bassist Kevin Backhaus spends most of the demo following the guitars, but he never misses a beat. There are also a few moments on songs like "Impending Ragnorok [sic]" when his performance becomes more prominent.
Frontman Tracy Harrell does his best Glen Benton impression by performing deep and gruff growls. They're not the best, but they're definitely better than other obscure bands I've heard in the past. The guitars are handled by Will Frazier and Rocky Armento. They often switch between insidious chord progressions and infernal palm-muted riffs. They then make things more interesting by throwing in some chromatic riffs and tremolo riffs. These particular riffs sound especially chaotic on the last track. They also play some screeching solos on occasion.
This demo was a bit rough, but very enjoyable overall. The music is a nice Deicide homage that shows off a lot of great riffs.
Eternal Torment - Demo 1992
Eternal Torment was formed in 1990 in Buffalo, New York, the birthplace of Cannibal Corpse. They released their first demo two years later. They have that classic New York death metal sound, which means that it tends to be mid-paced and straightforward. The drumkit is manned by former Mayhemesis member Dan Nelligan. His blast beats can be quite vicious, though sometimes they take on a simpler, thrashing quality. During the slower parts he plays pounding beats that often incorporate churning double bass. He also throws in some nice fills.
Both the bass and the vocals are handled by Al Costa. His bass work mostly follows the guitars, but thanks to how the demo was mixed, his performance can be heard very well and makes the music sound extra thick and crushing. "Infinity Domain" is where the bass shines the brightest. When it comes to vocals, he performs a deep, gruff growl that was quite brutal by the standards of the time. The guitars are handled by former Putrefest member Carl Pace. During the fast-paced parts he plays menacing palm-muted riffs as well as simple chord progressions that draw inspiration from grindcore. When things slow down he plays great grooves and chugging riffs.
This was a pretty strong debut demo. I especially loved the guitar work.
Eternal Torment - Confined Within Consciousness
In 1993, Eternal Torment released two EPs: Confined Within Consciousness and Downfall of Human Existence. No one knows which one came first because their exact release dates are still unknown, so I have decided to go through them alphabetically.
The most obvious improvement is the production. The sound is clearer and the instruments have a greater impact. Drummer Dan Nelligan plays a lot of skank beats this time around. Many of the patterns he utilized on the first demo are also present here, including the slow pounding beats and the mid-paced rhythms filled with double bass, but they're a lot more polished on this EP. The double bass sounds especially good at the end of the last track.
Al Costa's bass work has gotten slightly more complex and his growls have gotten deeper. The most noticeable improvements can be seen in Carl Pace's guitar work. He still plays many of the same types of riffs that were heard on the first demo - the grinding passages, the palm-muted riffs, the groovy chord progressions, the chugging riffs - but they have been refined greatly. He even plays some simple yet haunting solos on occasion.
When compared to their first demo, Confined Within Consciousness was a considerable improvement. The instrumental work was tighter and sharper and sounded better as a result.
Eternal Torment - Downfall of Human Existence
This was the other EP that Eternal Torment released in 1993. This was the last thing the band recorded before splitting up, and they clearly saved the best for last.
The production has been improved even further. Not only does it sound clear, but it also sounds even heavier. Aside from the skank beats and stomping breakdown beats, Dan Nelligan plays pulverizing blast beats and energetic galloping rhythms this time around. He even shows off some really impressive double bass work on the last track. Al Costa's growls still sound great, and his bass work sounds even heavier. Carl Pace puts on a fantastic performance. His palm-muted riffs are infernal, his tremolo riffs are insidious, his mid-paced chord progressions have fantastic grooves, and his chugging riffs are excellent. He tops all of this off with some sweet solos.
Downfall of Human Existence is Eternal Torment's best release. It's a tragedy that they broke up just when they were getting really good. If you don't feel like browsing Russian metal piracy web sites, then you can find the band's entire discography on the New York Split of Death, which also features the discography of another New York death metal band named Obscurity.