For 2011, Metal Mind Productions obtained the rights to reissue every Sinister release ever recorded, from their first demo, up to their eigth studio full-length recording, The Silent Howling. Among these recordings, the company included a CD entitled Demo-Nica, a title that clearly indicated that it collected the bands demo material in a compilation form. However, this title had not been release prior to this box set, making it an exclusive piece to this collection. However, there happens to be much more to this then meets the eye, especially given the fact that this is a box set of reissued material...You see where I'm going with this.
Demo-Nica is not actually a newly pressed compilation for the band's discography, so the rabid fans who own it and can't get the box set for one reason or another don't necessarily have to worry about tracking it down later on somehow. This is actually the 2009 compilation CD The Blood Path that was issued through Goregiastic Records, but features new artwork, and is retitled for some reason. The first thought as to why this is, especially since the other releases in the box set keep their titles, with exception to Hate which becomes a split release to be titled Hate and Bastard Saints.
The artwork on the digipack that comes in this set is dramatically different. Instead of a dramatic black and white picture with the title of the band and release in red, the artwork adorns a more simplistic look of a rotted female demon-creature-thing laid against a cross in a black and flesh tone coloring scheme. Then, the band name abobe it is green with the title of the release in a traditional Times New Roman-type font, all caps, with a light blueish green hugh glowing behind it. Honestly, the artwork pales in comparison to the original, and the title isn't quite as inventive as the original pressing. But, the physical aspects of a case that is part of a rather large and career expansive box set isn't necessarily the most important aspect of this recording, is it? What matters is what the label did to the music of this release for this box.
Metal Mind Productions went ahead and had all the material for the Altered Since Birth box set remastered, and it really shows on these recordings. While some of the more raw quality of the initial pressing is lost, one of the elements that makes going back to the demo material such an enjoyable experience int he first place, it really does make the songs sound clearer and are still enjoyable. The obvious production levels between one studio release to another are still quite obvious, but for the most part the label has succeeded in getting the volume of the releases within a general fluid level from one set of songs to the next, and the music is a little more vibrant and cleaned up to eradicate some of the white noise that caused the music of the initial pressings to sound more unclear and muddied. Sadly, it seems like nothing much could have been done to the song "Corridors to the Abyss", but the rest of the songs here come up a little more like genuine professional studio quality, though the 1990 demo Perpetual Damnation winds up sounding about the same, and actually slightly hurt by the remastering process as it makes it clearer, and leaving out some of the white noise that filled out some of the more hollow-sounding gaps.
In the long run, it's still worth it to hear the songs brought up to a more digital level, but the nostalgia does seem a bit lost on them considering that these really weren't meant to be huge flashy productions in the first place. You still get the general idea for the music either way though. But, one thing that really works in the label's favor is that the track listing is corrected. Demo-Nica has the correct titles for the first two songs listed on the back. However, it's still not that clear as to which tracks are from what release at times, as there's no booklet included with the CD, as it comes in a traditional digipack case to hold the CD, and all booklet information is placed in the rather large ninety six page booklet that comes with the box set. The only problem is that all information about Demo-Nica, it's material, and even the The Blood Path compilation itself other then the note on the back of the Demo-Nica case itself stating "Release under license from: GOREGIASTIC RECORDS, is not available in the booklet! So, given the fact that the songs on this recording are not in chronological order, it becomes impossible to figure out what recording some of these tracks come off of, which becomes the only real complaint about this reissue of the recording.
So, while Demo-Nica isn't really a new entry into the band's discography, it's a reissue of The Blood Path for the Metal Mind productions Sinister box set Altered Since Birth which features all the initial recordings prior to the debut full-length, corrects the title track error on the back of the recording, and digitally remasters the material, though some seem to be hurt slightly by that remastering, whereas others are helped out with clearing up the recording and making it a little sharper. It would have been nice to see the label keep the initial artwork and name, and only having changed it had they done the most obvious thing that could have been done and put all the tracks in the proper chronological order. Sadly, that is one thing that could have made this pressing far better, but didn't. Either way, this is only part of a box set, so unless you plan to buy it, you won't find it any other way, leaving The Blood Path the more viable option, though this pressing is somewhat better then the initial Goregiastic Records pressing.
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