siLLy puPPy The second DAMNATORY release is another short EP titled DOCTA IGNORANTIA that came out two years after the first. While the band would only release two EPs and no albums during its existence from 1991 to around the 2000 timeline, there were many demos released before, in between and after. Everything the band recorded can be obtained on the 2018 compilation “The Complete Disgoregraphy 1991-2003.”

DOCTA IGNORANTIA finds the band improving its old school death metal sound in virtually every way. While the production is better than the muddy “Hybridized Deformity” and the EP appears on the Black Jack label, this is still very much an underground sounding raw death metal release in the vein of early Incantation, Immolation, Dead Congregation and many other 90s old school death metal bands that sounded like they emerged from the bowels of hell.

DOCTA IGNROANTIA featured five tracks and although they only amounted to slightly over 18 minutes of playing time, provided enough variation and intensity to give a full-album experience and the brevity sometimes keeps things from stagnating which can easily happen in this type of extreme metal if the band cruises on automatic pilot.

The intro title track is an ominous swirling of creepy keyboards that sets a foreboding atmosphere and provides the perfect tone for the album. Once the death metal rampage begins, the atmospheric keyboard parts remain as opportune backdrops that emerge at select moments. On the metal side of things, DOCTA IGNORANTIA sounds a lot like “Hybridized Deformity” with down-tuned chugging heavy guitar riffing, bass and drums (no blastbeats) however this one provides faster tempos although the doomy segments still exist but less emphasized.

Overall this is a much better representation of DAMNATORY and if you only check out one release from this Swiss band then this would be the one i recommend. Unfortunately DAMNATORY never really went anywhere. Switzerland wasn’t exactly a hotbed of death metal and this was before the internet became popular so promoting yourself in the isolation of the Swiss Alps must’ve been nearly impossible. Although DAMNATORY may not have been the most original band, they nailed that filthy raw old school sound and probably sounds closest to what Incantation was doing on albums like “Onward To Golgotha.” Well worth checking out for those who can’t get enough of those primeval sounds of the early 90s.

siLLy puPPy DAMNATORY was a Swiss death metal band from Naters that formed in 1989 and existed up until the early 2000s but never released an actual album. What the band did put out was a three demos and two EPs and were fairly well regarded with their style of old school death metal that featured some doom elements.

HYBRIDIZED DEFORMITY was the band’s first EP emerging in the year of its formation and consisted of a mere three tracks that just misses the 14 minute mark. While only released in the 7” vinyl format once, the band released all of its recordings which were included on the compilation “The Complete Disgoregraphy 1991-2003.”

This lineup includes Patrick (guitars), Marco (bass), Sascha (drums), Patrick (another one on guitars) and another Marco on vocals. OK, no extra points for making that easy to figure out. Although this band never really went anywhere the potential was clearly there and despite the demo grade quality of this recording, DAMNATORY clearly had a keen sense of bands like Incantation, Immolation and other old school death metal bands that dwelled in the underworld.

The musical style is not the fast paced Morbid Angel style of death metal but rather resides somewhere between old school death metal and traditional doom metal with chugging riffs at mid-tempo with heavier guitar riffing and faster outbursts for contrast. The vocals are the typical guttural growls and the band did pretty good to change up the guitar riffs, bass lines and drumming patterns to keep it interesting.

There were literally thousands of these old school extreme metal bands that existed and only left their fossil remains deep in the metal underground with many deserving to go the way of the dodo and others like DAMNATORY clearly eligible for primetime slots in your listening experience. Perhaps not the most original band at this point but this was only the beginning and HYBRIDIZED DEFORMITY was a great start to the more polished and accomplished “Docta Ignorantia EP.”