What we have here is a split release of Sanctifica's first demo, In the Bleak Midwinter, which was originally released only in cassette form in 1998, and Pantokrator's newest offering, Songs of Solomon, recorded in 2001. Sanctifica is up first with five songs and one short intro. The production is not perfect, but not bad for a demo. After listening to this demo, you can definitely tell the progression that they would take on their Spirit of Purity release. The vocals are intense, and the music is brutal and aggressive black metal. Pantokrator is a mix of heavy, doomy death metal, a la Antestor's Martyrium release, with some very slight influences from bands like Tourniquet and Seventh Angel. The guitars have that raw, metallic sound that Mortification's newer albums have, only heavier. The vocals are mainly in a deep deathly growl, but the band incorporates some of the best female vocals I've heard yet in extreme metal. This is a good pickup for fans of black and death metal. One big disappointment is the fact that there are no lyrics in the booklet. Doesn't really make sense when you are dealing with extreme music.
Editors' ratings - Doug 3/5, Jason 3/5
