MISTIGO VARGGOTH DARKESTRA - Insatiable Moon LP (Gold Vinyl)

Before Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra disbanded in 2000, the group released one final release that year titled "Insatiable Moon". This was a compilation album that included the first two demos that were released in 1996, as well as including a bonus tracks that hadn't been released up until now. While these demos are clearly prototypes of what's to come from the band, I still think they're good in their own merits.

Both demos do take a bit of different directions towards their execution, but are still generally the same. The first demo "Paganism" mainly consists of a 16-minute track titled "Hunger of the Moon", which is probably the most minimalistic track under the Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra moniker. It mainly consists of a simple drum beat that repeats throughout the track, all while some melancholic keyboards play a sorrowful tune. If you're more into the complex works of the band's later releases, then this track isn't gonna be your favorite. However, as someone who is more tolerant of minimalistic music, I actually find the simple, yet elegant atmosphere of the track perfect for when you're just chilling. The other three tracks are much shorter, but still offer the same thing. A minimalistic composition mainly comprised of a depressive keyboard. "The Sunbirthday" and "The Ancient Forest Under Frozen Moon" are both fantastic, but "Into the Abyss of Witches" feels more like a filler track that I end up skipping a lot. This demo is very simple and does requite a bit of an acquired taste to get into, but other than one mediocre track, I generally found this demo enjoyable.