SARCOFAGO, it seems, is almost never mentioned when someone talks about Black Metal, especially its beginnings.  However, the influential band helped shaped the genre as we know it.  If it were not for them, a lot of Black Metal bands wouldn't even exist.  At first glance, it's easy to understand why that, even within a genre as underground and abrasive as Black Metal, they flew under the radar.  The songs have terrible production (which is more of a compliment really for a Black Metal band), and it's so raw that I was afraid of getting e.coli from it.  However, let it sink it and dig a little deeper into you, and you'll find a band that deserves to be recognized as an innovative band.  This album is basically a collection of their demos, with varying degrees of sound quality, hence the multiple track repeats.

Wagner Lamounier's vocals are gritty but they are not as shrill or fast paced as the future vocalists he would inspire.  It has a clear tone backed by an almost gravel like rasp.  Occasionally, he goes into a super high pitched falsetto scream, similar to KING DIAMOND or Tom Araya during "Angel of Death." It's easy to dismiss as being corny but it's more of a case of a band having fun while talking themselves maybe a little too seriously.  They knew they were onto something with this sound and it's cool to hear them doing random experimentation like this. Guitar wise, it definitely has what most would consider the standard Black Metal sound: the fast paced, winding and windy tone.  However, they do insert an almost thrashy sound into the riffs at time, such as on the track "Nightmare."  The drums are chaotic and it's clear they need some major refining, I don't think a person alive would say Eduardo D.D. Crazy isn't one hell of a drummer.  The speed at which he can play on songs like "Satanic Lust" and "Desecration of a Virgin" are nothing if not mind boggling; it almost sounds like a machine. "The Black Vomit", with its rough, barked growls and grinding riffs, has an Extreme Death Metal sound to it. "Secrets of a Window" is full of groove, loud cymbals; the songs's Doom sound really sinks into and is a highlight of this demo collection.  The bass is a standout here as well, with a almost funky type beat to it.  The sounds contained within may be rough around the edges, even for a black metal demo album, but there isn't any denying the influence and energy this band brings to the table.  Although it laid the sounds of Black Metal, it also incorporated Doom, Thrash, and even some traditional Metal. I think every metal fan, regardless of your musical genre of choice, needs to hear this band at least once.10/10