Review by Drew on June 16, 2008.

If Haieeta is the best thing that comes out of Ireland, then, someone please help us all. Yes, they do have a heavy sound, but it seems a bit sloppy. Haieeta consists of five members: Dimi on vocals, Rark and Pookie on guitars, Briain on bass, and Niall on drums, it could be much better given the talent of these individuals. The Mvemjsun(P) album only took them three days to complete and it certainly seems so.

When putting in the CD we are greeted with the song, "Dragonflies Terrain." When the song starts, I am optimistic by the heavy pounding of drums, building up to decent guitar riffs, but, then, I lose my erection when I hear the singer belt the lyrics. It reminds me of hearing a cow dying, which has just gone to slaughter.

"Freeze the Flame" is the second track. This one starts out just as good as the first, but I am once again disappointed with the delivery of the lyrics. I know the singer is trying, but I think if his delivery had a little more energy and punch, this song would be great.

Really, none of the other songs are worth noting except for one more. If there is once chance for this album, one selling point, it would be because of the song, "Telepathic Love". It has a great beat, great lyrics, and guitars that hit the eardrums like the sweet sound of breaking glass. "Telepathic Love" is by far the best song on this album.

With all of this being said, I still feel that fans of the Stoner Rock genre would enjoy Haieeta and this album very much. It's a type of album that you would want to break out and listen to with a group of friends, heck, even I would do that. I know how hard it is to get studio time, but if Haieeta would go back in and re-cut these songs, this would be a very strong album. It's not the greatest, but it's still tolerable.

Bottom Line: This could be an album that you listen to only once and throw it aside only to forget about it.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 3
Originality: 5
Overall: 5

Rating: 4.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 14, 2023.

Teufel Und Pest marks the second part of Ex Umbra In Solem and does not only deliver another stylish, stage-setting artwork. The eyecatcher is complemented by some fantastic “earcatchers”. In other words, Teufel Und Pest makes up for what was a little lacking in the first part. It scores with three magical, perfect tracks. They once again prove evidence for an already well-known fact: whenever Baptist is kissed by the muse, absolutely great things are created. So we will not waste time, let’s talk about these immaculate trio.

'Augen Weiß Wie Schnee' stands in the centre of the demo and due to its heavy yet melancholic verses, it delivers some great vibes which were missing on the more brutal first part of the four-pack. The song’s approach is emblematic for the more differentiated vibes of these ten tracks. This somehow mystic combination of brutality and wistfulness is the best possible partner for the cryptic tales that Baptist tells about snow-covered mountains, strange creatures, malicious monarchs and his longing for death, coupled with hatred for this life and this world. 'Ein Thron Aus Fleisch Und Blut' is the outstanding high velocity piece. It welcomes the listener at the beginning of the demo and its menacing, vortex-like main guitar line draws the consumer into Mavorim’s sound cosmos both violently and irresistibly. The ingenious chorus and an opening, additional guitar line after the second verse catapult this track into the highest regions of perfection. Maybe it is very Teutonic, but I love it. Between these two monuments walks the title track – bowed with grief, head down, aware of its own tragedy. Its stoic march into the grave, based on an excellent riff, is impressive and creepy. The keyboards add some atmospheric tones, before the track explodes into a fast-paced, double-bass driven rocket. Absolutely fanatic, fantastic and frenetic.

Although these tracks remain unreached, the further pieces enrich the release as well. For example, 'Das Licht' mixes heavy outbursts with a Viking metal guitar line in the instrumental part. 'Zugellöse Raserei' starts with a very good flow and mutates into a fast-moving ode to fornication. No doubt, each and every of the seven fully equipped songs mirrors the creative force of the spiritual father. And the three non-metal pieces? Well, they are pretty short and honestly speaking, that’s okay. My appetite for ambient intermezzos isn’t very big. The instrumentals are not annoying and perhaps they make sense in the overall concept of the material. To me they sound like the music I expect on a fairy tale tape for children, but that’s no harsh criticism, only a description of the state. Even these pieces have a certain charm.

The production is neither better nor worse than that of part I of the demo release, but time works for the artist. Yes, the voice should be a little more in the foreground. Nevertheless, I am already convinced that this wayward and rude reduced-to-the-essentials-sound is an almost perfect match for the unadulterated and unpolished material. By the way, do not understand “primitive” when reading “unadulterated and unpolished”. Baptist has spent enough, but not indiscriminate breaks on the songs. It may sound like a contradiction in terms, but all the tracks have a high degree of musical liveliness despite their fatalistic underlying mood. Furthermore, his variable vocals (mostly malicious nagging, exceptionally clear singing) have nothing in common with primitiveness.

Perhaps not every (black) metal fan grasps the extraordinary class of this band. Anything is possible in a world that lets bunglers like Sabaton or Manowar off the stage without having rotten eggs or tomatoes thrown at them by the audience. Okay, maybe that's just as well. After all, you shouldn't let food spoil. But if it does happen, throw them at the right people – and enjoy really good, atmospheric and expressive music. Mavorim makes an offer that is hard to refuse, not only on this glorious song collection called Teufel Und Pest which sets the bar very high for the subsequent parts of the demos.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10