Review by Felix on February 14, 2024.

There are two things one must know about Behemoth. Firstly, their best phase began very early on. Secondly, their best phase ended very early too. Thank Lucifer, the demo “...from the Pagan Vastlands” is among the oldest releases of the band. With the first tones of the opener – blowing winds welcome the listener – the release reveals a very high degree of atmosphere. “From the Hornedland to Lindisfarne” scores with a haunting, enchanted mood, fragile acoustic guitar tones that duel with sinister e-guitar lines and croaking vocals. Moreover, well integrated keyboard carpets show up and the drums are hammering somewhere in the distance. It goes without saying that one cannot expect a professional recording, but the crucial thing is that “...from the Pagan Vastlands” has definitely a lot of raw underground charm. The mix is like the artwork, both can rely on a simple yet adequate recipe.

Compared with the opener, “Thy Winter Kingdom” offers an almost smooth flow. Already in winter 1993/1994, Behemoth were able to manage more than just one approach. Nothing on this demo sounds formulaic or predictable. Behemoth followed their then black hearts and this way of proceeding resulted in archaic, authentic and spiritual tracks. The dudes did not shy away from a proper number of melodies – nevertheless, “misanthropy” is written in big letters over each and every track. Maybe it is correct to say that the excellence of this demo is based on the rare mixture of a surprisingly early achieved musical maturity and absolutely non-commercial individualism. Okay, Behemoth did not grow up in a vacuum and therefore their mid-paced tracks breathe the spirit of bands like Graveland. Anyway, the dudes are able to bring their personality into the compositions which are expressive, charismatic and equipped with an atmospheric density which turns out to be a big plus.

What does not really work here? Well, nothing sucks, only minor details are irritating. The Mayhem cover comes after the “outro winds” of “Fields of Harr-Megiddo”, which actually close the circle. And speaking of this song, its solos are slightly confusing for the listener, because they are more or less airy, light and almost emotional. Yet if I ignore them, the further parts of the track are on a par with the remaining material – songs that are full of suspenseful moments and in which the almost 35 minutes pass by quickly, although the single pieces themselves often only move at a medium speed. However, especially the strong “Blackvisions of the Almighty” illustrates that the musicians did not suffer from an allergy against speed.

The story of Behemoth (Nergal) is a story of musical evolution, to say it positively. From my point of view, it is a story of fickleness. Today the words “Black Metal is not a trend (inverted cross) it’s a cult!”, printed on the digipak, seem like mockery. Drive through Poland and if you see a guy pissing with the wind, it will probably be Nergal. But if one takes “...from the Pagan Vastlands” alone, and I guess this is meaning and purpose of this review, it is definitely a great document of this thing we call true black metal and an auspicious harbinger of Behemoth’s masterpiece from 1996, “Grom”.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 30, 2019.

What a shabby artwork. Is this the incompetent version of Exciter's "Long Live the Loud"? Or, even worse, does the band consist of Manowar supporters? And what the hell is this between the legs of this horned creature? The strangest kind of penis ever. Well, the very intelligent pseudonyms of the artists, for example Vlad Krieger or Pete Blitzkrieg, also give cause for concern. Finally, the album's title is simply moronic. Krieg Thrash, hahaha, this must be a parody at best. Well, let's listen to this bullshit for a minute and then I throw this shit away.

But what's that? As soon as the music begins, all the embarrassing side effects are forgotten. Almost unbelievable, but Eliminator invite the listener to a wild and daring ride through the most exciting territories of thrash metal. Less controlled than "Agent Orange", less precise than "Expurse of Sodomy", but in close proximity to "Persecution Mania". Less amateurish than "Endless Pain", less rumbling than "Pleasure to Kill", but in close relationship to "Flag of Hate". From this follows that the riffs are not executed with surgical precision. Dudes like Gary Holt, Craig Lociero or Alex Skolnick will probably hate this kind of thrash. It doesn't matter. The eliminating squadron hails the old German school of boisterous thrash and even the somewhat pressed and chunky production gives me the idea that the guys want to turn back time. In their wildest moments, Eliminator act absolutely ecstatically. The programmatically dubbed "Kill with Speed" offers somersaulting guitars and raging drums that do not know terms such as "silence", "serenity" or "clemency". Further tracks like "Gargoyle of Prague", equipped with a completely devastating chorus, also break speed records. Eliminator do not create a consistent atmosphere, but the intensity of their material and their energetic exuberance deserve respect. This storm of thrash is not for the faint-hearted and some parts, for example during the totally insane closer, illustrate that the creation of chaos can be an effective stylistic device.

Don't get me wrong, chaos is not prevailing on this debut. The German Krieg-lovers connect different parts very skillfully. The eponymous band anthem surprises with a short mosh sequence before all hell breaks loose again. Some stomping sections are also integrated in a clever way. An authentic fury transforms the songs to deadly weapons and both sudden breaks and unexpected tempo changes give them a slightly different direction from time to time. "Warfare", for example, scores with a suddenly emerging riff after the first chorus that pushes this title on the next level. Nevertheless, the following "Of Sheep, Shephards & Filthy Sermons" is even better. The ferocious attack boasts with excellent guitars, torrid drum fire and terrifying spoken words sequences that reflect the hypocrisy of (false) preachers and the blindness of their followers. This song connects a partly terrifying atmosphere with the violent musical approach and therefore it stands out and marks the peak of Eliminator's debut. By the way, this song as well as "Warfare" possess anti-religious lyrics that set themselves agreeably apart from many idiotic statements of other formations. Indeed, the full-length looks like the work of nutcases, but the dudes are definitely not stupid.

The hairy beast on the cover finishes its metallic ejaculation after 47 minutes of power, dedication and devastation. The Krieg is over. I crawl out of my trench and I realize in a matter of seconds that Eliminator have won the battle. Albeit a few tracks do not reach the highest score, for example the pretty traditionally designed "Times of Might", I can definitely say that this full-length has enriched my thrash metal cosmos. Too bad that there are no signs for a second work of these competent jesters.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10