Master's Hammer "The Mass / Jilemnicky Okultista -The Demo Days" CD Bootleg

Tracks 1-9: The Mass

Tracks 10-18: Jilemnicky okultista

This demo is a different recording to the album of the same name, but contains most of the same songs. Think of this demo as a preparatory sketch for the album that followed later in 1992. After "Ritual", Master's Hammer set to work, writing a bunch of new songs and preparing the groundwork for an ambitious symphonic black metal opera. Their aspirations benefited from a practice run before the finished product. This demo isn't as tight or as impressive as the album that follows but it is an interesting part of the band's history.
Most of the songs here are the same as the ones that later appeared on the album. There are a couple of minor differences. A few songs from the album had not been written or finalised by this point (presumably). Conversely, there are a couple of instrumental tracks here that would not be included on the album. These instrumentals might serve as building blocks for future songs, there are bits of the final track ("Mediální kresby") which sound like they were repurposed for a song on the eventual album.
Comparing the two releases is interesting. The production of the demo is bare-bones. The album had a rich, full, orchestral sound. The bass has more space here, it wanders over these tracks in a manner more noticeable than on the album. The guitar sound is rawer and crunchier. It sounds more like an old thrash band than the guitar sound of "Ritual". If you wanted to hear Master's Hammer with a tone similar to "Kill 'em All" then this demo will be of interest to you. The vocals sound odd, they echo at the back of the mix but it gives it a creepy feel. The keyboards are already here, Master's Hammer (along with Nocturnus and Pan.Thy.Monium) were at the vanguard of keyboards in extreme metal back then.
In early 1992, Master's Hammer were one of the best experimental extreme metal bands in the world. This demo isn't essential listening because it would soon be usurped by the album that bears its name. The music here is as excellent as you might expect from Master's Hammer at this stage of their career. The packaging is amazing, the typefaces used on the inlay are mesmerising in their detail. This is the perfect demonstration of Franta Štorm’s talents in this field, where he would eventually make a name and a living. This demo won't change your life. It probably won't change your perception of Master's Hammer either, but these guys were so good that anything they released from this period is worth hearing.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...