Opositor – Primaeval Worships [Compilation]

As the title might already suggest, ‘Primaeval Worships’ is a compilation tape of older Opositor tracks that were recorded during the first two years of the band’s existence. To be more precise, this tape compiles the band’s first two releases: ‘Demo Rehearsal ‘14’ and ‘Demo 2015’. So, while Opositor is already quite a rough sounding Black/Death Metal entity, these recordings are even more crude in nature: brace yourselves.

To put it quite frankly, side A of this tape, the one with the rehearsal session from 2014, is indeed rawer than raw. In fact, this is hardly listenable, not because of the rough nature of the music, but because of the messy sound quality. Due to the (one mic?) recording of this session, it is not easy to actually make something out of what they are actually playing. Basically only on the slower and more dragging passages there is something audible that resembles a riff. But, regardless of the impenetrable quality of the offered material, I can’t help but still having a bit of a knack for this sort of recordings. Quite understandable perhaps, but I just love the pure and honest character of such tapes.

Much better is the B-side, which has ‘Demo 2015’ on it. While still quite raw and displaying a sound that will not be acceptable for the average Watain fan, these recordings are doing way more justice to the great tracks. The band’s amalgam of Black and Death Metal, the chaotic and Ross Bay Cult worshipping way, with its loud and reverbed vocals will definitely appeal to anyone who has a weak spot for this piece of savage art. To underline once more what we are dealing with, the band finishes this demo with two covers: ‘Baphomet’s Vomit’ (Sadomator) and ‘Ritual’ (Blasphemy). I couldn’t have chosen better closers.

It is quite remarkable that none of these tracks ended up on the band’s ‘Steppe Climax Mysteries’ full-length from 2018, only ‘Malformations Of Doom’ (possibly the best track on this compilation) found its way to this year’s self-titled EP. However, it might be clear, this is not fodder for just everyone, but if you dig some obscure and wild stuff or just if you like to hear the primal steps of Opositor then you can consider picking up this nice tape.