UMUR
"Demo 1989" is the first demo recording by Finnish thrash metal act The Hirvi. The demo was independently released in 1989. It was the band´s only release during their original run from 1987 until their break-up in early 1990s. They reunited in 2017 and have released a couple of full-length studio albums since.
Stylistically the material on the 3 tracks, 15:58 minutes long demo is aggressive and technically well played thrash metal. There´s even a progressive edge to some parts and it almost sounds like Kreator and Voivod merged and created a band in Finland. The lead vocalist sounds a lot like Mille Petrozza from Kreator with his raw screaming delivery, which I might add is quite effective and convincing.
The demo is well produced, featuring a powerful, detailed, and well sounding demo quality production which suits the material well. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts. I´ve mentioned the vocals which are raw and snarling, but the riffs are also worth a mention as they are incredibly sharp and the drumming is organic and powerful, yet precise. The songwriting is of some note too, as the furiously fast-paced thrash metal sections are often paired with more technical thrash metal sections and even the odd progressive metal moment here and there.
Upon conclustion "Demo 1989" is a high quality first demo recording by The Hirvi and it´s too bad they never mananged to get a recording contract and release more during their initial run. This is a bit more than just promising and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
