Ekg

***EKG’s one and only recording from 1992 available for the first time on any format to the public at large. The Czech black metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s has earned the distinction of being one of the most celebrated in the history of the genre. Anchored by well-known acts such as Master’s Hammer, Root, and Törr, the black metal that originated in this country and era is easily distinguishable and difficult to mistake due to its own particular idiosyncrasies, not the least of which is the preference for using the region’s native tongue in the lyrics and vocals, which to the uninitiated listener adds a foreign element of unknown evil. In the decades since, during which this scene’s indelible mark on the historical black metal landscape has become increasingly appreciated, several previously unknown bands from it have become more widely discovered, and the revered Czech black metal canon has grown as a result. Two entities which to this point have not received their deserved accolades are EKG and Immortallity, the latter of which was spawned from the former. Inspired by metal bands worldwide, and Czech stalwart Olympic’s work from the 1980s in particular, the first output from this group consisted primarily of cover songs from more renowned metal acts. Before long, however, they had moved on to writing and performing their own material in the same spirit as the previously-cited Czech legends who had begun to do so not long before.