The Past is Alive :
1.Shadows Over a Lost Kingdom (2:49) -from the 7" EP, "Into Infinite Obscurity (1991)
2.Frozen (3:28) -from the promo "The Somberlain" (1992)
3.Feathers Fell (52 sec) -from the promo "The Somberlain" (1992)
4.Son of the Mourning (3:25) -from the EP 7", "Into Infinite Obscurity (1991)
5.Mistress of the Bleeding Sorrow (4:39) -from the promo "The Somberlain" (1992)
6.In The Cold Winds of Nowhere (4:01) -from the promo "The Somberlain" (1992)
7.Into Infinite Obscurity (1:04) -from the EP 7", "Into Infinite Obscurity (1991)
8.The Call of the Mist (3:59) -from the demo "The Grief Prophecy" (1990)
9.Severed into Shreds (4:27) -Rehearsal tape, spring 1990
10.Satanized* (2:54) -Rehearsal tape, summer '91
11.Born in Fire* (2:40) -Rehearsal tape, summer '91

Total time : 34min 18

*Played by Satanized, a Dissection's side-project...

The Past is Alive is a compilation album that gather some songs from the early Dissection chosen by the band members. With this compilation, we have the chance to hear how Dissection sounded in the beginning of the '90s.

The majority of the songs here can be find on the band' debut album, "The Somberlain", but here the sound is more raw and aggressive. Jon's vocals are fucking great here, more devilish, even if more death metal orientated, but on the songs "Mistress of the Bleeding Sorrow" and "Shadows Over a Lost Kingdom" they are very similar than those on "The Somberlain" debut. I've discovered that the song "Feathers Fell" had lyrics in the beginning (not on the debut album) ...

Also, there is two songs performed by Satanized, the side-project of some Dissection' band members... They are from a rehearsal tape (recorded in summer '91) so the sound is not perfect (well, the sound is horrible). You can listen another version of the song "Satanized" on Blackend Volume II, preformed by Decaremon.

Conclusion :
I like this album as well as the others, even if there's nothing original here. Now I know how the early and more underground Dissection sounded. There is some death metal songs, like "The Call of the Mist" and "Severed into Shreds". As a death metal band, Dissection was much better than the majority of today's Suffocation-like bands.

Rating/5: 4

© 1999 cythrawl