Originally released by Spinefarm in 2004, this collects everything by Finnish death metal legends XYSMA prior to their signing:
The first two albums - Yeah (1991) and First & Magical (1993)
The first two EPs - Above the Mind of Morbidity (1990) and Fata Morgana (1991)
The original demo - Swarming of the Maggots (1989)
Above the Mind of Morbidity is an absolute essential purchase for anyone heavily into bands like CARCASS, IMPETIGO, EXHUMED and thousands of Goregrind acts that followed. Fata Morgana their lone style was a mix of many things. The vocals on Fata Morgana are very Carcass-like obviously using pitch shifters to warp and bend the vocal tracks to the full extremities of the imagination. The lows are inhumanly low, almost vomit inducing and gurgling. They add to the sickness this band wants to portray in every second of their songs. The mid and high range vocals don't ever seem to be sung unless they are used as a highlight of sorts with the ultra low ones delivered in complete synchronicity together. The guitars and bass on this almost seem to be tuned down to an ultra heavy B. Their sound often has aspects of that all too familiar and amazing "Swedish sound". Trust me that's not a bad thing here it's just how it sounds.
"First & Magickal" XYSMA: the great unrecognized treasure of Finland's underground past. They were putting out filthy proto-deathgrind demos before ABHORRENCE had even formed, and were making pop death n' roll a year later. This second full length, "First & Magical", sounds like Reek of Putrefaction-era CARCASS performing Wolverine Blues except with way catchier, poppier, tendancies. The band themselves state in the album sleeve that they were influenced by the BEACH BOYS, and against all odds, it's believable, and it works. For Fans of: CARCASS, EXHUMED, IMPETIGO, PUNGENT STENCH, NAPALM DEATH, ENTOMBED.
