Grotesque - In the Embrace of Evil

Almost every fan of Death Metal (especially Melodeath) has heard of the band At the Gates.  However, not every Death Metal fan has heard of the precursor to this band - Grotesque.  Grotesque was formed back in 1988 in Gothenburg (home of the Swedish Melodeath scene).  They consisted of two members which would later form At the Gates (Tomas Lindburg on Vocals, and Alf Svensson on guitar).  The other members are connected to a whole host of other Swedish bands including Liers in Wait and Diabolique.  They recorded a few demos in 1989 and 1990 and they recorded a now legendary EP called Incantation.  The demos hinted at a Death/Black metal combination that predates Dissection, but that wasn't made fully clear until Incantation's release in the latter half of 1990.  The production is much clearer and focused. Lindberg's howls sound more primitive and raw than his vocals on the At the Gates material.  The guitar work is wonderfully complex, yet they sound rough and jagged and fit in very well.  After Incantation, the band split up and the members went their separate ways, but in 1996, the band recorded a few new songs for the compilation, In the Embrace of Evil, which also features the Incantation EP and a few remastered unreleased demo tracks.  They then later reunited briefly in 2007 and played a few shows in Sweden, but they officially disbanded shortly afterward.

Here's that compilation - enjoy it

http://www.mediafire.com/?azwivunnmyh

Recommended Tracks
Blood Runs From the Altar
Submit to Death
Incantation