CD version includes “Blood Upon the Soundspace” rehearsal as bonus.
(Description by J. Campbell)
Although Blasphemy’s recorded output was limited, its endurance over the
last three decades is a testament to its originality and extremity, and
it all began with the Blood Upon the Altar demo. The band’s origin was
unremarkable but auspicious. In 1984, founding members Nocturnal Grave
Desecrater and Black Winds and 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity,
who lived near one another and were already acquainted, began playing
music together, mostly working on cover songs. They soon recruited
Caller of the Storms and Black Priest of the 7 Satanic Blood Rituals to
complete the original lineup. After briefly adopting the name
Antichrist, the band eventually settled on the simple and iconic name
Blasphemy and began writing songs. They refined their sound and focused
their songs during live rituals over the next several years, although
the lineup would fluctuate slightly when Black Winds did a brief stint
in jail, and Bestial Savior of the Undead Legions briefly assumed bass
duties. Black Winds soon rejoined the fold, and Blasphemy entered Fiasco
Bros. studio in 1989 with an $800 budget. They emerged having produced
one of the most devastating demo recordings ever made. Blood Upon the
Altar ushered in a new style of Black Metal, no less dark or evil than
their contemporaries, but more confrontational, more violent. In
addition to being heavily inspired by Bathory, Sodom, and Slayer,
Blasphemy also drew from the punk infused Brazilian scene, especially
Sarcófago, as well as Grindcore bands like Blood and Genocide
(Repulsion). The resultant mixture of these influences yielded a demo
that established a new standard for extremity in Black Metal, a bar that
Blasphemy would continue to raise with each subsequent recording. This
edition of Blood Upon the Altar marks the first time since its original
release that it has been properly featured as a stand-alone album. For
far too long, this demo was tacked as bonus tracks onto the end of the
Gods of War album, leaving the impression that Blood Upon the Altar was
of lower stature; in fact, for many, Blood Upon the Altar is the most
powerful Blasphemy release of all. Additionally, many of the earlier
reissue editions of this recording had long gaps between the tracks
owing to an improperly prepared digital master, but that flaw has been
corrected with this version, which was also remastered by James Plotkin
to ensure the best possible sound. Finally, the original demo artwork
once again adorns the cover of this LP, which also features a full-color
gatefold. In every respect, this version—a joint release by NWN! and
Ross Bay Cult—seeks to restore Blood Upon the Altar to its original
status as one of the most significant Black Metal recordings of all
time.