20TH ADVERSARY OF EMPTINESS

"20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is a compilation release from Finnish death metal act Demilich. The compilation was released through Svart Records in January 2014. "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" contains all material recorded by Demilich during the period 1991-2006. That means all material from the four demos recorded in the 1991-1992 period, the full 1993 "Nespithe" full-length studio album, and the at the time three unreleased tracks recorded in 2005-2006 titled "The Faces Right Below The Skin Of The Earth", "Emptiness Of Vanishing", and "Vanishing Of Emptiness". The latter mentioned tracks didn´t see an indiviual release until 2021 when the Dissonant Tapes label released the "Vanishing Sessions" EP featuring the three tracks.

Lead vocalist/guitarist Antti Boman had been working on a compilation of all recorced material by Demilich since 2006, but he wasn´t able to finish the project until Svart Records stepped in with a helping hand. "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is a great idea though, as all material featured on the compilation is worth the price of admission. Right from the first one-track demo "Regurgitation Of Blood" from April 1991, it´s obvious that Demilich were on to something special. The material on the second demo "The Four Instructive Tales Of Decomposition" from July 1991 saw great growth and a more mature band, but with the May 1992 third demo "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...", Demilich found their abstract, angular riffs and twisted harmonies and leads, laid-back groove laden, and burbing growling death metal style and further cemeneted that sound and approach on the August 1992 "The Echo" demo.

Almost all the material on "Nespithe" are re-recorded versions of tracks which had already appeared on "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness..." and "The Echo". But the tracks feature a more professional studio sound quality and there is a reason why "Nespithe" are often mentioned among the seminal Finnish death metal albums from the early 90s. The last part of "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" are the three tracks from the 2005-2006 "Vanishing Sessions". All high quality material and at least "Emptiness Of Vanishing" and "Vanishing Of Emptiness" are older material written between the releases of "The Four Instructive Tales Of Decomposition" and "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness..." which Demilich didn´t record and put out back then.

"20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is upon conclusion the perfect way to be introduced to the strange and abstract death metal world of Demilich. Fans of "Nespithe", who haven´t listened to the preceding demos and the material from the "Vanishing Sessions" owe it to themselves to give that part of "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" a listen. The quality of the material and the performances are high throughout. A brilliant compilation this one and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

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