To say this material is the epitome of gravity, weightiness, and mass would be understating the very obvious. Everything presented on the demo resurfaces on the brilliant FLESHCRAWL “Descend into the Absurd” debut CD in sharper and more deliberate form, thus it serves interest only in direct comparison to the implementation of the material on that later work (or vice-versa, as is your preference).

The works are noticeably more hastily pieced together on “Festering Flesh,” which helps it capture more of the raw energy consistent with the majority of prevalent Scandinavian bands at the time. For fleeting moments some songs sound almost upbeat only to become awash in the weight of the dirge of nothingness, and the heavy pounding death march of single-chorded down-stroked passages and doom-laden interludes. Even where tempo does increase melody drags it right back into the mire; an occasional glance upward in painful reflection of this is enough to hear lead guitars cry out their distress in flying atonal madness. This is the typical methodology, which when coupled with the impenetrable muddle of bass-heavy tones and commanding percussive presence does well to lend to the listener a feeling of suffocating despair. As mentioned there is an occasional rhythmic bounce keeping everything afloat, such as on the final track “Infecting the Subconscious,” where the recurring chorus of “invading the mind” over an up-tempo swing rhythm does well to do exactly that in a way that is strangely perverse.

For those unfamiliar with the “Descend into the Absurd” CD this proves a worthy historical companion, but those completely new to FLESHCRAWL would be better to track down that great recording first to hear a more complete idea, and turn to this demo later to hear the songs performed when the band’s more energetic (frenetic) tendencies were apparent.