i never bought just one single hammerheart records release and i think, i never bought any items via their store. still i get the regular newsletter of this label from the netherlands. for good reasons i am now sure of. in one of the more recent newsletters i got information about pre-orders for a new nile release. when it's about nile, i am all over it. doesn't matter what. therefore i was strongly interested in this compilation release called "in the beginning".
this release compiles their first mini album "festivals of atonement" from 1995 and their second demo "ramses bringer of war" from 1997. relapse records released this in 2000 but i didn't find any info on if it was after the release of "black seeds of vengeance" from the same year or before it. anyway, back in the day relapse licenced the vinyl rights to hammerheart records, which made it available on black vinyl only. now, seventeen years later, hammerheart re-issued it and i am happy as can be.
after a smooth pre-order process, i hold this lovely compilation in hands. "festivals of atonement" is such a strong release. it might even become my favourite pre-"annihilation of the wicked" material. especially "extinct" is a doomy, egyptian underworld scorcher. the "ramses bringer of war" demo can't hold up to but is good nile standard, which is still better than most other death metal in the world. the presentation is super slick with some gold ink on front and back cover and very nice "sand" vinyl, a.k.a. transparent beer vinyl. 300 copies made. hammerheart records. 2000/2017.
