Here we have Demo(n)s, a limited-edition CD of rare unreleased demos from the Washington-based band Coven. (See what they did with the title there?) But Coven doesn’t always sound like your average thrash band, especially a thrash band in the mid-Eighties -- the era from which most of these demos originate. Songs like “Another Life” and “Out of the Grave” sound more like mid-paced progressive-metal from that time, rather than say, Slayer or Exodus. Other tracks, though, are "thrash" through and through.
Coven has a complicated history with multiple lineup changes, and the band’s tale is best explained in the detailed liner notes. Suffice to say that this Coven is not the occult band that gained notoriety in the late Sixties and early Seventies. Instead, these guys emerged out of Seattle in 1984 and also went by such names as Coven 6669 (see what they did there, too?) and Coven 13. Most of the songs here were recorded in 1984 and 1987 and remained unreleased until now.
Demo(n)s also includes a pair of 2024 demos (“War Is A Godly Thing” and “Beating in Brains”), as well as bonus tracks of two songs from 1987 demo sessions that ended up in slightly different form on Coven's second album, 1989’s Death Walks Behind You. There's also a live version of “Iron Dick” from 1987’s debut, Blessed Is the Black. The overall sound quality is better than you might expect, but this one is primarily for longtime Coven fans.
Track Listing:
1. Ashes To Ashes (1984 Demo)
2. Another Life (1984 Demo)
3. Out of the Grave (1984 Demo)
4. Trampling On the Cross (1984 Demo)
5. Beheading (1987 Demo)
6. Redemption of Souls (1987 Demo)
7. Killing Breed (1987 Demo)
8. Sacrilege (1987 Demo)
9. To Serve Man (1987 Demo)
10. War Is A Godly Thing (2024 Demo)
11. Beating In Brains (2024 Demo)
12. Silent Night/Spellbinder (1987 Demos) (Bonus Track)
13. Iron Dick (Live on KGRG Radio in 2013) (Bonus Track)
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