siLLy puPPy DISCIPLES OF THE ULTIMATE VOID is the debut demo by DEATHSPELL OMEGA before they blossomed into the great metaphysical Satanic black metal force that would unfold in a few short years. Nothing on this debut suggests the ability to reinvent themselves to such heights for on this lo-fi indie release it all about trying to reinvent the wheel with absolutely nothing as far as innovating. With an obvious fetish for worshiping Darkthrone on this demo I actually feel like the raspy vocals and their chaotic delivery remind me more of early Summoning. This is really one of those hard core fan things. If you can stand lo-fi dirty and brutal old school black metal that is by the numbers you might like this one (as I do) but the lack of creativity on this one means you may enjoy the excellent musicianship on board but at the same time feel underwhelmed. This was only released on cassette in 1999 on a total of 66 copies but was included on their debut album “Infernal Battles.”

Wilytank (Originally posted by me to Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives; http://www.metal-archives.com/)

Deathspell Alpha

It seems routine for fans of Deathspell Omega to only pay attention to their material after Mikko Aspa picked up the microphone for the band; and to be fair, the majority of the music with Shaxul on vox isn't really as interesting. Well here, we have 'Disciples of the Ultimate Void', DsO's first demo. Those of you who are prospective listeners who have played 'Paracletus' to death are not going to find any rawer incarnations of the band's newer playing style. Rather, you are going to get a more traditional sounding black metal demo with clear throwbacks to Mayhem and the like with its gritty aggression.

However, you will be getting lots of raw production anyway. If you're like me though, you're a black metal connoisseur and you've heard a lot worse. The production is still clear enough for to allow allow all the instruments to be heard, and they're played quite well on this demo. Better still is that the music is well varied to keep these four songs interesting enough to sit through without wanting to turn off the music due to boredom. Still, I do say that the majority of the catchy riffs tend to stay in "Raping Human Dignity" and "The Ancient Presence Revealed".

Though definitely not as fresh at the time the demo would come out and I probably wouldn't say that it needs to be urgently sought after, 'Disciples of the Ultimate Void' still is a very enjoyable slab of good old gritty black metal tremolo guitar work, blast beats, and the occasional and very catchy slower heavy riffing breaks. If you're really curious, go ahead and give this a listen. Just don't expect it to pull any punches or be as complicated as newer Deathspell Omega.

(70/100)

Conor Fynes 'Disciples Of The Ultimate Void' - Deathspell Omega (2/10)

I have no problem calling Deathspell Omega one of my favourite black metal bands ever, if not one of my favourites of any style. Over the course of the past decade, they have made some incredibly bone-chilling music, relying heavily on none other than Satan himself for lyrical inspiration. What has set this band apart though is their ability to really innovate their sound, and incorporate aspects of jaw-dropping technicality into a genre that generally lacks much in the way of playing proficiency. In any case, they have released some of my favourite albums, and though I respect them to the utmost, I cannot find much to appreciate in their early demo, entitled 'Disciples Of The Ultimate Void'. First hearing it tacked onto their debut album 'Infernal Battles', this is a poorly produced, generic black metal demo that sadly does not impress me in any way, let alone to the extent that their opuses do.

There really is not much to say about the demo, save for the fact that it shows these Frenchmen paying homage to bands like Mayhem, who perfected this old school style of black metal about a decade prior. The songwriting is bland and predictable, although the musicianship of the band is quite impressive, even at this point. It is clear that this band is a cut above others in the sense that this band can really play their instruments well. Sadly, they are using their talents to pull off music that has been done much better before. Even after a few listens, nothing sticks on the demo. There are some nicely played riffs, but even they are made senseless by the sewage-calibre production that would typically be entailed with a demo. There is little to enjoy here, and it would be until the band's second album where they would start making some good black metal.

Vehemency ”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” is a nice starting point for the first era of Deathspell Omega, before the evident change in both musical and lyrical aspect. On this first demo, that later appeared on the first album ”Infernal Battles” (and how I managed to get a hold of these songs - no way I possess the original, limited demo), Deathspell Omega plays ruthless black metal in the very same vein they continued until 2004: brutal and straight-forward Satanic black metal with minor melancholic leanings every now and then. On this demo there are even some thrash metal influences, as the main riffs of ”The Ancient Presence Revealed” tell.

The demo is often criticized due to the low sound quality, and it ultimately is low and very rehearsal-like, but every instrument is audible so I don’t have a problem with it. Not that the production values are perfect here, no: I do prefer the more clear yet still utterly cold and raw sound of ”Inquisitors of Satan” where all the instruments have more power. On ”Disicples of the Ultimate Void”, the instruments are one big mass of filth where you can still discern everything well enough. Musically, the band’s technical abilities are of same quality as on the next few albums (which means that the band plays tightly but doesn’t dwell in unnecessary gimmicks), it is only the production where ”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” differs. Thus it’s ultimately the cold, black atmosphere that makes the demo worthy.

If you’re looking forward to explore the music that Deathspell Omega provided during its first years, ”Disciples of the Ultimate Void” isn’t perhaps the best to start with - I would go with the aforementioned ”Inquisitors of Satan” and ”Manifestations 2002” to witness Deathspell Omega at their best before 2004. And if you have the guts to tackle those albums, then do go for ”Infernal Battles” to get a hold of these songs, too, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking: Deathspell Omega was in its infancy on this demo, and showed a lot more potential and originality later.

UMUR Disciples of the Ultimate Void is a demo tape made by French experimental/ avant garde black metal act Deathspell Omega. This is a cassette demo tape that was only released in 66 copies. Lots have happened to the music from the band since this demo was released and I was a bit disappointed to learn that the band played very simple old school black metal on their first releases when I know what they will accomplish on later releases.

There are four songs on the demo and with titles like Raping Human Dignity and Death's Reign (Human Futility) you pretty much know where we are in the lyrics department. The music is rather simple old school black metal with aggressive raspy vocals. No keyboards here. A dark, occult and aggressive mood is the order of the day.

The musicianship is surprisingly tight and especially the drummer shows some pretty impressive skills. Considering the very primitive demo- and quite frankly annoying sound quality the band does prove that they have skills. Both in the way the compositions are made and in the musicianship.

The sound quality which most of all reminds me of a very bad live bootleg recording drags Disciples of the Ultimate Void down bigtime though. I know some people enjoy these noisy and lo-fi black metal productions but I´m not one of them. I like to hear details in music and not just deliberately made bad sound quality. you can call it authentic or what you will as much as you like, I just don´t enjoy it. Had the sound quality been bearable I would have given 2 stars. As it is now this is a 1 star recording. If you´re new to the band let me suggest that you start with some of their later releases instead. Disciples of the Ultimate Void does not represent how Deathspell Omega sound today.