ABIGOR is an extremely prolific Black Metal band out of Austria. They formed in 1993, and they feature on something like 14 full length albums, five EPs, a fistful of splits, and a shit ton of compilations. They also have a few dozen demos. Between 1993 and 1994, in fact, they recorded 20 demos. On February 27, 2025, Darkness Shall Ride Productions released them via a collection aptly named, Demos (1993 -1994).

I think we all know how demo collections work. If you are an avid fan of the band, demos are a most; if you are a collector of rare releases, again demos are a must; if you like hard-to-find, lo-fi recordings of the unprocessed extreme metal, a must. If you’re looking for your next jam tape to work out to or maybe some new tunes to perform to at your next karaoke night, probably not a good choice—although that karaoke thing might actually be hilarious.  

I’m going to quote the promo material on the album because 1) I feel lazy today and 2) it pretty much nails it: “For the first time, these 5 tapes (Ash Nazg …, lux devicta est, promo tape 2/94, Moonrise and In Hate & Sin)  are compiled as a stand-alone 2LP / 2CD album, accompanied by extensive photo material and an in-depth interview, covering the period from the formative 1980s, over the conditions leading to the establishment of the band, up to the days when a deal for their debut Verwüstung/Invoke The Dark Age was signed.”

Right? That tells you exactly what it is. I mean, it doesn’t review all the tracks or disclose the deep, dark lyrical intent of each song, but if you’re even considering buying a demo compilation, none of that should matter. The physical copy also comes with a 48-page book detailing the circumstances of each demo. Historically speaking, that’s a pretty cool artifact. And, no, I’m not being sarcastic. As a lover of books and a lover of Black Metal, this is like your very own legit copy of the Necronomicon.

I don’t know what else to tell you. If you need more info, I did an online search and found several dissertation length reviews of Demos (1993 -1994) but be warned, it might take you longer to read them than just listening to the full 87 minutes of this collection.

If you’re a diehard ABIGOR fan, you’ve already pre-ordered your copy. Is it a good album? If you’re a diehard fan it is. If you love raw, evil Black Metal, it is. Chances are if you are even reading this review you should buy the album. Your soul is already lost.