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Ripped from the Cross (1988)
Grotesque’s first demo, Ripped from the Cross was released in November 1988. This is pure, old school black/death. The production is rough and maybe off-putting if your ears aren’t tuned for this sort of thing. It’s muddy and muffled, even for an underground '80s demo, but somehow that actually adds to the atmosphere. There’s an obscure, murky feeling, like peering through a keyhole into hell and hearing sounds emanating from deep within.
The musicianship and songwriting are already strong here, impressive for a first demo. For example, the title track differs very little from the re-recorded 1996 version right from the start, all of the elements that would make this band stand out were present. One can hear influences from early Slayer, Possessed, Morbid Angel and Celtic Frost. The Tom Warrior influence is most obvious on "Moondance Prophecy", though what Grotesque managed here was far more evil than anything he ever achieved. Goatspell's vocals hadn't yet reached the torn-throat sound he would soon come to be known for, but he was getting there.
One of the highlights of the demo is the slower section of "Shadows of Lost Fire". It features such agonized, anguished screams, conveying the sense of souls burning in the deepest pits of hell. This recording is far darker than anything else coming out of Sweden at the time, putting most of the Stockholm bands to shame. Even the mighty Bathory had shifted away from the darkness of their early albums.
Also included here is a cover of Slayer's "Black Magic". To hear it alongside the rest of the material, it the influence of those old records becomes clear. Overall, Ripped from the Cross is a very solid demo, well worth listening to for anyone who appreciates a pitch-black atmosphere of pure evil and torment.
The musicianship and songwriting are already strong here, impressive for a first demo. For example, the title track differs very little from the re-recorded 1996 version right from the start, all of the elements that would make this band stand out were present. One can hear influences from early Slayer, Possessed, Morbid Angel and Celtic Frost. The Tom Warrior influence is most obvious on "Moondance Prophecy", though what Grotesque managed here was far more evil than anything he ever achieved. Goatspell's vocals hadn't yet reached the torn-throat sound he would soon come to be known for, but he was getting there.
One of the highlights of the demo is the slower section of "Shadows of Lost Fire". It features such agonized, anguished screams, conveying the sense of souls burning in the deepest pits of hell. This recording is far darker than anything else coming out of Sweden at the time, putting most of the Stockholm bands to shame. Even the mighty Bathory had shifted away from the darkness of their early albums.
Also included here is a cover of Slayer's "Black Magic". To hear it alongside the rest of the material, it the influence of those old records becomes clear. Overall, Ripped from the Cross is a very solid demo, well worth listening to for anyone who appreciates a pitch-black atmosphere of pure evil and torment.
(4 Feb. 2026)
The Black Gate is Closed (1989)
Released in May 1989, The Black Gate is Closed is the second demo from Sweden's Grotesque. Despite containing three tracks, one is an intro and another is a mere "trailer"/preview. This leaves only one real song, though understandable as even the inlay notes say that this is a mere taste of the planned full-length (that sadly never came to be).
"Blood Runs from the Altar" is a masterpiece of hellish black/death/thrash from a time when these styles were very intermingled. The faster riffs are aggressive, like being whipped with razorwire, while the mid-paced parts carry a feeling of doom. The sound is raw and yet a slight upgrade from the previous demo, which perfectly suits the songwriting. There is a primitive, barbaric feeling to this version compared to the one they would record months later, as if they hadn't played it too many times before pressing record. As for "Angels Blood", though it's an incredibly brief sample, it features a gloomy riff that didn't seem to make it to later versions
Some might see this as a mere curiosity, as a "superior" recording exists in a more readily available form. However, for those who are simply into raw demo material, The Black Gate is Closed possesses value in itself and should certainly warrant a listen.
"Blood Runs from the Altar" is a masterpiece of hellish black/death/thrash from a time when these styles were very intermingled. The faster riffs are aggressive, like being whipped with razorwire, while the mid-paced parts carry a feeling of doom. The sound is raw and yet a slight upgrade from the previous demo, which perfectly suits the songwriting. There is a primitive, barbaric feeling to this version compared to the one they would record months later, as if they hadn't played it too many times before pressing record. As for "Angels Blood", though it's an incredibly brief sample, it features a gloomy riff that didn't seem to make it to later versions
Some might see this as a mere curiosity, as a "superior" recording exists in a more readily available form. However, for those who are simply into raw demo material, The Black Gate is Closed possesses value in itself and should certainly warrant a listen.
(4 Feb. 2026)
In the Embrace of Evil (1996)
In November 1989, Grotesque entered the studio and recorded five tracks intended for a future full-length, with plans to record more later on. That album never came to be. Instead, the following year the band recorded new material and released the Incantation E.P., which also included two songs from that earlier session. Not long after, the band broke up. It wasn’t until 1996 that Grotesque’s work was given proper treatment with the release of In the Embrace of Evil, a compilation that gathers all of the studio material from both sessions, along with two re-recorded versions of some of their earliest songs.
The November ’89 session captures the blasphemous spirit of the underground, from a time when black, death, and thrash metal were all spilling out of the same hellish cauldron. One can hear inspiration from the likes of early Slayer, Possessed and Necrovore. The sound is raw and ugly, with razor sharp guitars tearing at your flesh and demonic screams from the shredded throat of Goatspell. The difference between this and the previous demos is stark. While those recordings lurked in the shadows of a murky sound, this material is a violent assault on the senses by comparison. "Blood Runs from the Altar" and "Angels Blood" are the two standouts, with the former being far more lethal than the version on The Black Gate is Closed while the latter is a dark epic with several riffs and tempos that hearken back to Hell Awaits.
The tracks taken from Incantation possess hints of the Swedish death metal sound, likely due to being recorded at Sunlight Studio. It's subtle; the guitar tone, some deeper vocals at times and a few riffs here and there, most notably on "Incantation", which is more of a pure death metal song. Nevertheless, this is far more evil than anything else being recorded at the studio at the time. A band like Treblinka/Tiamat could only dream of achieving the darkness found in an infernal masterpiece like "Nocturnal Blasphemies". The sickening screams and haunting solos push the legacy of Slayer, Possessed and Bathory even deeper into the bowels of Hell, creating something more ghastly and malevolent.
Three of the band members reunited in early 1996 to record a couple of bonus songs for this release. "Church of the Pentagram" was one of the earliest songs written by the band, though it never appeared on any previous tape. Of course, this version of "Ripped from the Cross" sounds heavier and more lethal than the old demo thanks to proper studio production, but the spirit is just as vile and ugly as ever. Both tracks sound like they were vomited up straight from the late '80s. Grotesque stayed true to the material, picking up where they left off without bringing in any new influences. They didn’t miss a beat, and it might be one of the few times a band reunion actually sounded just as strong as the original. In the Embrace of Evil is the perfect epitaph on the tombstone of Grotesque's existence. What they left behind was an obscure legacy of evil, and rather than being forgotten like so many other underground bands or reduced to a footnote because of what some members did later, this release ensured they would be remembered. This is highly recommended.
The November ’89 session captures the blasphemous spirit of the underground, from a time when black, death, and thrash metal were all spilling out of the same hellish cauldron. One can hear inspiration from the likes of early Slayer, Possessed and Necrovore. The sound is raw and ugly, with razor sharp guitars tearing at your flesh and demonic screams from the shredded throat of Goatspell. The difference between this and the previous demos is stark. While those recordings lurked in the shadows of a murky sound, this material is a violent assault on the senses by comparison. "Blood Runs from the Altar" and "Angels Blood" are the two standouts, with the former being far more lethal than the version on The Black Gate is Closed while the latter is a dark epic with several riffs and tempos that hearken back to Hell Awaits.
The tracks taken from Incantation possess hints of the Swedish death metal sound, likely due to being recorded at Sunlight Studio. It's subtle; the guitar tone, some deeper vocals at times and a few riffs here and there, most notably on "Incantation", which is more of a pure death metal song. Nevertheless, this is far more evil than anything else being recorded at the studio at the time. A band like Treblinka/Tiamat could only dream of achieving the darkness found in an infernal masterpiece like "Nocturnal Blasphemies". The sickening screams and haunting solos push the legacy of Slayer, Possessed and Bathory even deeper into the bowels of Hell, creating something more ghastly and malevolent.
Three of the band members reunited in early 1996 to record a couple of bonus songs for this release. "Church of the Pentagram" was one of the earliest songs written by the band, though it never appeared on any previous tape. Of course, this version of "Ripped from the Cross" sounds heavier and more lethal than the old demo thanks to proper studio production, but the spirit is just as vile and ugly as ever. Both tracks sound like they were vomited up straight from the late '80s. Grotesque stayed true to the material, picking up where they left off without bringing in any new influences. They didn’t miss a beat, and it might be one of the few times a band reunion actually sounded just as strong as the original. In the Embrace of Evil is the perfect epitaph on the tombstone of Grotesque's existence. What they left behind was an obscure legacy of evil, and rather than being forgotten like so many other underground bands or reduced to a footnote because of what some members did later, this release ensured they would be remembered. This is highly recommended.
(17 Mar. 2009)
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