When I looked at the name of the band and the title of the album, it didn't immediately set of alarm bell s ringing or anything like that. I was just wondering whether this was the UK band I reviewed last year, or the Dutch one from way back when. Until I had another look, and thought that the title of it sounded awfully familiar. I went to have a look, and yes, I actually have the original CD of the USURPER album "Divine Spiritual and Intellectual Development" in my possession. What we have here is the Dutch Thrash Metal version of USURPER, a band that was very active in the second half of the eighties up and until the early nineties. Their hometown was and is Waddinxveen in the province of South Holland. Before they became USURPER in 1987, they went by the name of SEPULCHRAL DEATH, and the demo that band produced in 1986 is also added to the bonus CD that comes with this package. This just means that when you decide to go for this package, you will own all the music these guys made between 1986 and 1990. After they disbanded in the early nineties it was quiet for quite some time, until the band reared its ugly head again in 2016. They are still going, and in 2020 they even brought us an album in the form of "Evilution".

I had forgotten how good the Thrash Metal, the music and the songs are on the original "Divine Spiritual and Intellectual Development" is, but now I've listened to it again, I can see why this has been given a rerelease. The new production has made the sound a bit richer and fuller, making the album sound even better than it did in 1990. The first CD also houses five live songs from the same year as the album. Recorded in Rotterdam the band have added some good recordings , even if the talking in between the songs is in Dutch. On the second CD you will get all three the demos the band did. It all starts with "Demo 3", easily the best sounding demo of all three, and the one that secured the band their record deal back then. The next one, "Chants Of Traducement" has a sound that is a lot rougher, but you can still hear the potential of the band shining through. The SEPULCHRAL DEATH demo is a typical first demo by any Thrash Metal band back then, as the guys are attempting to squeeze as many notes in every second of their songs. Add to it all that is has the least favourable production, and you will understand that this one is for the real fans.