Elohim
Belsebub
Type:
EP
Release date:
February 1992
Catalog ID:
DS-004
Label:
Drowned Productions
Format:
7" vinyl (45 RPM)
Reviews:
1 review (avg. 92%)

Songs:
Side A
1. Chemical Warfare 04:15
Side B
2. Infected Organs 02:41
3. Masses to Reveal 02:54
09:50

Line Up:

Peter Blomberg Guitars
Mica Savimäki Bass, Vocals, Guitars
Jonny Fagerström Drums, Vocals


Reviews:
Read
Dark death/thrash with a... 92% Drowned December 16th, 2005

Dark death/thrash with a unique vocal approach - 92%
Drowned, December 16th, 2005
Here's another great piece of vinyl from Drowned Productions, this time by Belsebub. As mentioned on the site, these guys were one of the first death metal bands to use two lead vocalists in their music. The drummer and bassist both take up the singing duties here, and as a result it makes the band stand out from the hundreds of other Swedish groups emerging at the time. The vocalists take turns singing, and the effect is refreshing because each song is structured differently in terms of the vocal patterns. The first guy's voice is very deep and throaty, similar to the style of vocals used on Afflicted's earlier material; while the other vocalist has a higher, raspy tone that's more along the lines of Merciless or Sorcery. Together with the catchy death/thrash displayed on this EP, it all amounts to a good ten minutes of furious headbanging!

The production on this 7" is rather demo quality, but in a dirty kind of way that suits the music perfectly. All of the instruments sit well in the mix. The drums sound very heavy, and are mainly comprised of simple, fast-tempo thrash beats along with a fair amount of double bass. The guitars are very downtuned and have that trademark Sunlight Studios sound to them (although this wasn't recorded at Sunlight). The bass is clear, and works great to elevate the heaviness of the songs.

Belsebub offer us three songs of generally mid-paced, thrashy death metal. I would most compare the music to what Massacre were doing on their "From Beyond" LP, especially on the first song "Chemical Warfare". If anyone was wondering, this particular track isn't a Slayer cover, but despite the unoriginal title it's still very good for what it is. In fact, I would say it's just as catchy as the Slayer piece! Nothing but straight headbanging riffs all the way through, with a very addictive chorus section.

The next two songs are shorter, both clocking in under the 3:00 minute mark. While "Chemical Warfare" was centered more on the growling vocals, "Infected Organs" is all about the high screams. This one is very similar to fellow Swedish death/thrashers Sorcery, and it almost sounds like a lost song from their "Bloodchilling Tales" session. "Masses to Reveal" continues in this same style, but this time there's a slight grindcore influence thrown into the mix in the form of furious blastbeats from the drummer. The rest of the song is pretty mid-paced, and there's even a melodic doom riff about half-way through that reminds me of Gorement's last two releases. This song provides the best mixture of both vocal styles.

The only real downside of this EP is its short length. It just leaves you wanting more. But aside from that, it's pretty damn solid. Definitely find a copy of this one!

Recording information:
Recorded at Studio Basement, Motala, Feb. 92