Necrophobic's two demos, "Slow Asphyxiation" and "Unholy Prophecies," are the center point of this release due to the impact they hold in the band's upbringing; however, both embryos are far from mundane in any regard. "Slow Asphyxiation" features three tunes doused in the ideal blueprint of a new death metal band at, perhaps, the first realization of talent and sophistication. The trio accurately conjures fast riffing, crushing production, lots of worthwhile variation, great soloing, and earthborn growls; pretty prototypical for the overall scene in a lot of ways, really. "Unholy Prophecies” sees an alteration in sound, bringing the demo's mix to the traditional (and awesome) guitar churn often associated with Swedish tapes at the time, keeping the same characteristics "Slow Asphyxiation" ionized in eternity. Of course, the three songs here mend well with a death metal identity due to the low growls contradicting the high shrieks that eventually perpetuated Necrophobic's catalog. The musical progression between the release of both demos is minimal at best, but with the great assortment of ideas, philosophies, atmosphere, and enthusiasm, both tapes are a smash and definitely worthy finds for old and new fans alike.

The instrumental "Shadows of the Moon" reflects the final section of "Satanic Blasphemies" with the inclusion of "The Call" EP, a branding trademark of Swedish death metal: buzz saw guitars (a term used frequently to describe this location's fabric, albeit a perfect one), raw percussion, hazy atmosphere, and the scent of Sweden smeared all over it. The following dirges of "The Ancient Gate" and "Father of Creation" act a lot darker and undercooked than the eventual appearance these two tracks would make on "The Nocturnal Silence," and frankly, I'm torn between which version is better. I do personally regard Stefan Harrvik as a better singer than Anders Strokirk's vocal performance (the later vocalist actually appeared on the full-length, unlike Harrvik's short stay in "The Call") because his deep, growling voice seems like a better fit than Strokirk's high-pitched moan. Overall though, these last three tunes are the prime cuts of this useful retrospective, without a shadow of a doubt.