Varathron: Procreation of the Unaltered Evil (1989)

Just a few days ago I said that I would be diving deep into the Hellenic black metal scene.  Well here we go.  Varathron is one of the bigger names in the scene and has been at it for 30 years now.  This is the band's first demo.

The original version of this demo (mine is a reissue with a bunch of extra live tracks) is just two songs, lasting just over nine and a half minutes.  What is evident is that the band is still finding their sound, but that they are on the right track.  The songs are built around funereal guitar melodies that are in constant motion.  The vocals have a decayed and desiccated sound to them, as if the singer has just arisen from the grave.  The combination gives the release a spooky, creepy quality that the scene has become known for.

This is an excellent beginning for a band that would become one of the standard-bearers for the scene.  Of course the best was yet to come for Varathron, but this is an impressive start.