UMUR "Rehearsal Demo" is the fourth demo recording by US, Florida based death/thrash metal act Hellwitch. The demo was independently released in March 1989. It´s the successor to the June 1987 "Mordirivial Disemanation" demo, and features a lineup which has been almost completely changed since the last demo. New drummer is Esteban "Steve" Rincon and new bassist is Frank Watkins (later of Obituary fame). The only constant in Hellwitch is lead vocalist/guitarist Patrick Ranieri.

Although this is a rehearsal demo, the sound quality is decent. It´s not a professional studio recording or even a demo studio recording, but since Hellwitch are such a well playing act, they still manage to get their message across. This was of course a relatively short-lived incarnation of Hellwitch as soon after this recording was finished Watkins left to join Obituary and Rincon was replaced by Joe Schnessel. Watkins was replaced by Tommy Mouser and the trio of Schnessel, Mouser, and Ranieri recorded Hellwitch´s debut full-length studio album "Syzygial Miscreancy" (Wild Rags Records, December 1990).

The "Rehearsal Demo" opens with a cover of Death´s "Archangel" and then rehearsal versions of "Mordirivial Disemanation" and "Viral Exogence", which are both tracks which were re-recorded and included on "Syzygial Miscreancy". If you´re intererested in the demo years of Hellwitch this demo is a worthy purchase, but I´d listen to the two preceding studio demos before this one. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.