Mythic: Anthology (1998)

This release is a reissue of a compilation of Mythic's two demos and EP that were released in the early 1990's.  Mythic is a bit of a cult band, having released no actual full-length albums but being largely revered by the metal underground regardless.  Those two demos and EP are the only things released by the band while they were active, and they are extremely hard to find, which is why it is such a good thing that they were collected together here.

Mythic was likely one of the first, if not the first, all-female extreme metal bands.  Two of the members were previously in Derkéta, another cult band, and formed Mythic after the band broke up.  Since the three members of Mythic had all been in other bands before, it is no surprise that the band sounds like they have been together for years.  There is some improvement in songwriting as the release continues, which makes sense given the nature of the release.

The sound of Mythic is based around the mighty Hellhammer, with a little bit of Cianide thrown in for good measure.  It is deliberately-paced, grinding and doomy death metal with crushing riffs.  The drumming is top-notch and is the most impressive element of the band's sound.  The vocals are delivered in a harsh, caustic bark that fits in well with the early death metal vocals of the time.

There is a good reason for Mythic's cult status in the metal underground.  They released three extremely impressive offerings.  Unfortunately, we will never see a full-length from the band.  That is a bit of a missed opportunity.