This compilation CD gathers together three
Internal Bleeding demos from the early '90s, along with one song, "Alien Breed," recorded in 2001. While this band has made many lineup changes over the years -- only guitarist Chris Pervelis and drummer Bill Tolley have been constant members -- they have maintained a consistent style of groove-oriented New York death metal, hallmarked by chunky guitar riffs, moshpit-ready breakdowns, and jarringly placed blastbeats. Of the demos, 1994's "Perpetual Degradation" has the best sound quality and it could almost pass as a studio recording. "Invocation of Evil" (1992) is murkier, with somewhat brittle-sounding drums, although it's still very much listenable. "The One Dollar Demo," recorded at a rehearsal in 1991, is the roughest, with more of a garage-band vibe. However, these tracks have a raw, youthful enthusiasm that contrasts with the band's more polished, professional later work, making them interesting in their own right. Together with the extensive booklet, which contains artwork and liner notes for each of the demo sessions, the surprisingly good quality of the music on this CD should make it a worthwhile buy for
Internal Bleeding fans. ~ William York