This release has a rather tragic story behind it. Back in 2014, Borgerkrigen produced a savage and incredibly barbaric demo. Savage riffs, war drums, and harsh vocals all wrapped in a chaotic and raw production. Sadly, the sole member of the band, Christopher Ryan Bertaina, tragically lost his life in 2015 due to a senseless act of gang violence, today’s version of barbaric tribal warfare. It most likely was a case of false identity as well, which only adds to the level of tragedy and anger I’m sure his family and those close to him must feel. But it adds a unique level of sorrow to this demo. A release like this feels like an intimate look into the creative mind of a this man and its a shame that we won’t get to hear what ever else more could’ve been in store.
There’s a lot of savagery and power in these tracks. Almost reminiscent of a melodic Blasphemy the deep war-like drums and harsh riffs create for such a powerful wall of sound that doesn’t really compare to other demos. Even though the recording quality is rather rough, the modern remastering, thanks to the label Secluded Offerings, creates a classic atmosphere that hearkens back to the second wave of Norwegian black metal. Its not too long either, four short tracks of savagery totaling out to around thirteen minutes is sadly, not enough. There’s so much potential to be made here and what we do have is something of a gem.
There are a lot of demos that I’ve came across and not many stand out like this one. Beyond the interesting story behind it, the musicality in it is just so well done. The interesting mixtures of melodies, going from triumphant guitar riffs accompanied with mid-paced drums to harsher yet more somber and angry riffs and straight blast beats, all performed very well with out missing a beat. Each track is just like that save for the final track, which is just an acoustic jam. Its a weird track, but quite charming. Its hard to listen to, mainly because of how it was recorded, but it sounds like the beginnings of a cool tribal style black metal track. The drums, sounding like someone slapping their shins and someone else playing an unplugged guitar. I’m not really giving it the credit it deserves but, it seems like a nice yet sad homage and farewell to a talented artist.
I’d recommend those who are demo collectors and enjoys to pick this up from the label Secluded Offerings who are doing the physical cassette releases as well as the digital. I feel like this can fit nicely in any collection, and its still great to listen to. The first track Inglorious Death (ironically tragic that its named that), is probably my favorite as I find it the most catchy. As well as the last acoustic jam track as I find it a charming and rather catchy riff.
RIP – CALISTVS VALDOR NORD
GET THE ALBUM HERE