| Kaliyuga Konspiracies proudly presents CREMATION’s Black Death Cult on CD as Anti-Scene 007, housed in a jewel case with a 4-page booklet printed on 220 GSM art paper and strictly limited to 300 copies. This long-overdue CD edition compiles three of Cremation’s legendary demos—Pire Gah Hoath Raclir Od Ialpor (1993), Hail the Rise of Med Pe Gal (1994), and The Flames of an Elite Age (1995)—originally brought together by NWN! Productions in 2009. A delirious and essential artifact from the ever-evolving legacy of Canadian death metal, Black Death Cult stands as a powerful testament to the vision and artistry of J. Read, the relentless Architect of Doom.
Cremation’s existence was brief, yielding only four demos between 1992 and 1995. In recent years, the underground has shown a renewed fascination with “dark” death metal, and perhaps because of that, demand for a reissue of these obscure recordings has only grown. This release compiles three of the four demos—intentionally omitting the first—and delivers a blistering glimpse into one of Canada’s most savage and overlooked death metal entities.
But dark is too soft a word for Cremation. Their music radiates a violent, unrelenting atmosphere of terror that remains unmatched in the realm of pure death metal, both past and present. Much of the band's posthumous acclaim has centered around the presence of J. Read behind the kit—later known for his ferocious work in Conqueror, Revenge, and Axis of Advance. Those familiar with his style won’t be surprised to hear that the drumming here doesn’t merely serve as a backdrop—it’s as aggressive and forward-driving as the guitars and vocals, forming a unified wall of chaos. Each instrument contributes equally to the relentless assault, creating an overwhelming and punishing effect.
Though the recordings are raw and minimal in production, the sheer intensity of the performances brings enormous power. At its core, Cremation's sound is pure Satanic fury—rarely matched by their peers, and still resonant decades later. It’s no stretch to say they were ahead of their time; traces of their unorthodox and savage style can be found in the work of many contemporary death metal bands.
The three demos compiled here offer slight variations in tone and execution, but when experienced together, they build into a cataclysmic whole. Each track escalates the tension of the last, culminating in a devastating finale. These recordings mark a critical turning point—the final breath of pure death metal before the inevitable wave of black metal influence reshaped the underground. Cremation stood at the edge of that transformation, occupying the outermost fringes of death metal extremity, and the power they unleashed from that precipice remains undeniable.
-Review by J. Campbell
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