Nihilist - Early demos

Nihilist, however short their lifespan, have had an influence on extreme music that has lasted since their early beginnings in 1987. They created the sound and style of the now classic Swedish death metal subgenre, and while Nihilist never released an album under that moniker, four of its members went on to form Entombed (Nicke Andersson, Alex Hellid, L.G. Petrov, and Ulf Cederlund). A couple other notable members went on to form Unleashed (Johnny Hedlund) and Dismember (David Blomqvist): that is really all that needs to be said about their history and what they mean to the music that I hold so close. Those are three bands that I not only grew up listening to, but idolized. In the amount of hours I spent listening to every riff, memorizing every lyric, composer, producer, recording studio, and release date of each band, one could complete college and then some.
As for The Demos, the majority of the songs have been released by Entombed on their now classic recordings Left Hand Path and Clandestine. “Supposed to Rot” and “Carnal Leftovers,” eventually ending up on Left Hand Path, are from the ‘88 Premature Autopsy demo. On the demo versions you can really hear the old Venom and Possessed style vocals, which were the forbearers to the growls that would become synonymous with death metal today. The progression between the Premature Autopsy demo and the Only Shreds Remain demo, which was also released in 1988, is amazing! This is when the sound of Swedish death metal really began to take form. This demo also features a couple more tracks from Left Hand Path (“Abnormally Deceased” and “Revel in Flesh”). The Drowned demo has the sole entry from Clandestine (“Severe Burns”) along with “When Life Has Ceased” and “Morbid Devourment.” As an extra added bonus, Entombed’s sole demo But Life Goes On is also included here.
With this release, the almost impossible-to-find recordings of Nihilist are now available. This is sure to be a treat for any death metal nerd (I put myself right there in that group). Ula Gehret provides the band’s history in the inlay, beautifully laying out all the details of Nihilist’s short lifespan. For those who are not real familiar with Entombed, check out Left Hand Path and Clandestine. But if you want a severe history lesson, The Demos will more then suffice.