Independent - 1991
7.5/10
During the inception of the death metal sound, Sweden was the runner-up to Florida with pumping out band after band from the scene. One that seems to get swept under the rug, likely due to their smaller discography, is Seance. Before even dropping a full-length, a demo titled Levitised Spirit hit the shelves. Thanks to Chaos Records, we now have a CD version of this. For an early work in this region, things sound oddly crisp; especially when you consider that this is void of the staple buzzsaw guitar tones.
Focusing everything around the occult and the dead, Seance crafted riffs of terror that offer a slight nod to advanced playing. While not quite technical, there's still an ear for lead guitar lines that jump around in tempo, using jarring swings that typically go from chugging steadiness into drum-loaded chaos. “Reincarnate” has some of the tightest percussion for its time, with noodly leads trading on and off with the thicker rhythm sections. Unfortunately, the vocals seem just a bit high in the mix, having a tendency to drown all of this out when present. They aren’t bad, being quite typical. But I guess this is where the disadvantages of being the first attempt come in.
But I must give Levitised Spirit credit. The consistency among haunting atmospheres (a lot of windy intros) and impressive musicianship makes this worth all seventeen minutes. Those who tamper with the likes of Gorguts or Electrocution will have a great time with this.
Listen -> Bandcamp
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