HOUR OF 13 "Salt The Dead: The Rare And Unreleased" [2-CD, Digipak]

Listening to Salt The Dead: The Rare And Unreleased, it becomes quickly apparent that something truly special was being birthed upon the band's first recorded notes. The first half of this collection - or sides A and B of the double-vinyl edition - comprise demos recorded in 2007. The first three songs were the very first written by HOUR OF 13 in November 2006 and then recorded not long after; the next five songs were recorded nearly a year later. Together, these eight songs would form the foundation of the band's now-classic debut album, released by SHADOW KINGDOM as Hour of 13. Although recognizably HOUR OF 13, these early demo versions of the debut album's songs have slightly different arrangements while others have slightly different vocals, but every single bit of the band's trademark atmosphere is plentiful and poignant. Verily, this is the sound of lingering incense and burning blood.

During the second half of Salt The Dead: The Rare And Unreleased, we find a number of alternate recordings, some with special circumstances surrounding them. On side C is an alternate full-band recording of "Call To Satan," recorded at the HOUR OF 13 rehearsal spot, alongside an alternate version of "The Rites of Samhain" with fully correct lyric placement and vocals by mainman Chad Davis. But most poignantly is the song "Upon Black Wings We Die," written and recorded within a matter of a few hours upon hearing the news of the passing of Jason McCash from The Gates Of Slumber. On side D are the complete Candlemass Eve Recordings, the second rehearsal with Beaten Back to Pure's Ben Hogg on vocals: all recorded in a single session on a Zoom H2 microphone in the room, captured here with a newfound energy and stirring vocal performance. Feel the ancient atmosphere of early metal rehearsal rooms of yesteryear here!

As founder Chad Davis states in the liner notes to Salt The Dead: The Rare And Unreleased, "This album documents the times and tribulations that had shrouded HOUR OF 13, the early days of rejuvenation along with the dark days of contemplation, and serve as a testament of an entity capable of withstanding any obstacle in its path." So far, the definitive HOUR OF 13 collection - and the cultest. Praise Him and enter the abyss!