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Eternal Might (1988)
Recorded in early 1988, Eternal Might is pure destruction. This demo from Poland’s Imperator is one of the most savage, hellish things I've ever heard. These guys deliver blistering fast music with hateful, raspy vocals that almost have a ghastly quality. The production is one of the rawest things captured on tape but never descends into sounding like unlistenable garbage.
The riffs come at you in waves of speed and violence. It’s ugly and primal, with every screeching note and pummeling drum hit coming through loud and clear. Despite the lo-fi sound, it’s still full of power. Every element smashes into you with unrelenting force. There's a real tension between the intensity of the material and the necro production that just adds to the sense of unease.
The version I have has extra tracks, including “Święta wojna,” which may be the highlight of the whole thing. Much like “Endless Sacrifice”, this is scathing, like acid to the face. The majority of the material is fast-paced and just bludgeons you. The musicianship is tight, moreso than the rough sound might lead you to believe.
This sounds nothing like their full-length, The Time Before Time. That album is a far cry from the unrestrained chaos of this demo, and it’s clear now why some '90s black metal bands took influence from this. You can hear the groundwork for a lot of early black metal here: the fuzzy guitars, the sinister tremolo riffs, and those vocals that could send chills down your spine. That said, most of those later recordings are the equivalent to a child crying in a dark corner compared to Eternal Might. This sounds more like the legions of hell coming forth to destroy all life.
The riffs come at you in waves of speed and violence. It’s ugly and primal, with every screeching note and pummeling drum hit coming through loud and clear. Despite the lo-fi sound, it’s still full of power. Every element smashes into you with unrelenting force. There's a real tension between the intensity of the material and the necro production that just adds to the sense of unease.
The version I have has extra tracks, including “Święta wojna,” which may be the highlight of the whole thing. Much like “Endless Sacrifice”, this is scathing, like acid to the face. The majority of the material is fast-paced and just bludgeons you. The musicianship is tight, moreso than the rough sound might lead you to believe.
This sounds nothing like their full-length, The Time Before Time. That album is a far cry from the unrestrained chaos of this demo, and it’s clear now why some '90s black metal bands took influence from this. You can hear the groundwork for a lot of early black metal here: the fuzzy guitars, the sinister tremolo riffs, and those vocals that could send chills down your spine. That said, most of those later recordings are the equivalent to a child crying in a dark corner compared to Eternal Might. This sounds more like the legions of hell coming forth to destroy all life.
(2 May 2025)
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