Creedless Minds - The Awakening - 1994

Side A:
1.Into The Storm Of Dust
2.Decryed Reality

Side B:
1.Neo Survivor
2.Wounds Of War

Recorded at Rec'n Roll studios, October 1994.
Produced bt Luis Barros.

Line up:
Rui-vocals
Luis-guitar
Igor-guitar
Sergio-bass
Zé-drums

Another great demo from another not well know band in the Portuguese underground, from Porto. And like , Agnosia, lots of quality and good production.
But, unlike Agnosia (just because they were the last mentioned) , this time we have mainly a Death Metal band that occasiollnally blends some Thrash in their tunes.
Very agressive vocals and a very good track "Into The Storm Of Dust " that went to get a much wide deserved attention in the 2XCD Compilation "Hypermetal" in 1996 along more mainstream bands like Moonspell or Ramp.

Score/rating: 6.5

Cruel Hate - Dying In Fear -1992

Side A:
1.War With No Pain
2.Blindness
3.Atomic Calamity

Side B:
1.Times Of Despair
2.Living In Fear

Line up:
Carlos Bento - Vocals
Alberto Calé - Bass
Mario da Costa - Drums
Rui D'Oliveira - Guitar
Paulo Pacheco - Guitar

Straight forward Thrash Metal , no fooling around, direct and competent Thrash in your face.
Another band that i get to know with "The birth of a tragedy" compilation...
Like i said before, this is a very competent recording, well executed tunes, some really fast drumming and strong choruses. I just have a bit dificulty to assimilate the voclas when the guy tries to sing... he simply doesn´t have the ideal type of vocals for this, and that is too bad. If he'd growl like in many chorus , this would have a much better result.
Best track: War With No Pain

Positive points to the band picture:

Score/rating: 6

Agnosia - The first Gathering - 1994

Side A:
1.Intro (02.01)
2.Inside Voices (03.59)
3.Muffled noises (03.18)

Side B:
1.Fortitude (Instrumental) (03.27)
2.Opposite directions (04.04)

Line up:
Teixeira , lead vocals and rythm guitar
Paulo , solo and rythm guitar
Miguel , bass guitar and backing vocals
Emn's , drums

Recorded in Rec'n Roll Studios on 5/10/94
Production and mixing by Luis Barros.

Anther band hailling from the north, Porto , more exactly, and as usual in those parts with good quality and better production.
Death Metal mixed with Thrash or the other way around? My opinion is this is a hard , powerfull, heavy Thrash tape. You get some growls and fast drumming ocasionally , but basically this is Thrash Band.
Favorite track , the first on side B, the Instrumental "Fortitude" and also, even better the opening "Intro". Nothing against the vocals, heard tons worse, simply my opinion.

Can be downloaded here.

Score/Rating: 5.5

Agonizing Terror - Disharmony in god's creation - 1995

Side A:
1.Intro
2.Enemies of Gods
3.Meditatio Cordis

Side B:
1.Obnoxious odium
2.Condemnated
3.Massacre

Label: Lustful Rec. (002)

Line up:
Vitor Bóia - bass
Sara - drums
Vilarinho - vocals
Tojó - guitars

Recorded in October 1995.

Straight in your face Death Metal from start to finish. A band with a lady drummer can be perceived as not so eficiente for the genre, but Sara does kick serious ass...
My favorite track is "Enemies of Gods" which would surface in a compilation CD by Independent Recs. A killer track indeed.

Just curious fact: The label printed on the tape this dialog :
"Devido aos pesados encargos fiscais que o estado nos impõe somos obrigados e temos o prazer de vos dar a liberdade de fazer o que quiserem com esta obra ilegal"
A straight critic to the amount of taxes and other shit that the Portuguese state forced underground artists/labels to do/pay in order to make a band/release legal...

Rating/score: 6

Afterdeath - Behind Life - 1992

Side A:
1.Intro (00.25)
2.Digital Horizons (03.38)
3.Afterdeath (03.47)
4.Heart of fire (05.06)
5.Fortune (03.56)

Side B:
Same tracks (all)

Sérgio Paulo- lead vocals
Nuno Maciel - all guitar
Ricardo Jorge - bass
Ricardo Rosales - drums

Produced, engineered and mixed by João Martins.
Recorded August '91 at Heaven Sound Studios in Almada.
Backing vocals by Nuno Maciel & Ricardo Jorge.
Adicional Vocals by Tracy E.

Another band that was introduced to me by this mythical Compilation by MTM , "The birth of a tragedy", back in 1992.
This is in fact the 1st proper release by this Death Metal band. And in my opinion still their best.
"Digital Horizons" is a different and faster version than the one i already knew from The MTM vynil compilation. The high point of this demo sinse i already enjoyed this track on that compilation. Dunno which one was recorded 1st though.
"Afterdeath" although a good track , relly remindes me of Celtic Frost's "Wine in My Hand (Third From the Sun) " from "Vanity/Nemesis" album. Sometimes i wounder if this isn't just a simple riff "copy/paste"... either way a good track.

"Heart of fire" , is a kinda mellow one, slow/mid paced track... nothing much, i guess the guys were emotional at that time...
The last track is a bit of happy, la,la,la tune. I really have mixed feelings about this and i still dont know if i like it or not. I guess it depends on the mood i am in. Sometimes i find it kinda silly, about that thrashy riff and cheesy chorus. But in other hand, i guess the guys were having fun and they manage to give this track a good ending.

Score/Rating: 6.5