Karma: The Creation Of Chaos - Demo Collection 1991-1993 | The Healthy Art Of Metal Archaeology

(2025 – Disembodied Records)

Archeology is a wholesome pursuit when it comes to doing justice, especially to bands that made a splash in their day but, for various reasons, perhaps never quite broke through—at least not outside the underground scene. We’re referring to the archaeological task of revisiting old stuff in the form of demos or vintage recordings, giving them a sonic refresh, and making them available again as a way to remember the early days and the good old times.
This new material from the Argentine band Karma, a Thrash/Death Metal band from the early ’90s, is a prime example. Back then, they recorded several demos that circulated on cassettes, at a time when there weren’t as many opportunities to access state-of-the-art recording studios or release songs on social media as there are today. Handshakes and word of mouth were part of the underground scene in those dinosaur-era days, and Karma was part of that whole movement, managing to get out there and present their sound live at countless shows, eventually releasing an independently produced, self-managed album titled “Fear Of Destiny,” their first official record in 1994, which even got them on MTV, positioning them as one of the best Argentine Metal bands.
It took many years for a second album to materialize; in fact, the band took a pretty long hiatus between 1996 and 2017. By this point in the story, Karma was finally able to release their second official album by the book, but that’s another story.

The important thing is that they haven’t forgotten their roots, and on this “The Creation Of Chaos,” they bring us a compilation of the demos Karma recorded at the very beginning of their existence, way back when. In short, the album includes the 1991 demo “Is Death My Solution?”, the 1992 demo titled “Live In The Bathroom”, and finally a 1993 demo.
With this, Karma closes an important chapter of its history, managing to capture on a single album these demos that, as we mentioned, were mostly distributed on cassettes—and even the so-called “Live At Bathroom,” according to the band, was never intended for release.
And this kicks off with the first demo, titled after one of Karma’s classics, “Is Death My Solution?”, in a raw production featuring just three tracks: the intro “Cyborg Hell,” and the songs “Is Death My Solution?” and “A Long Time Ago,” which serve to introduce us to the band’s sound, which straddles Death Metal and Technical Thrash Metal, featuring an interesting blend that includes English lyrics and vocals, with an intense, dry, pounding, and cutting rhythm. It’s a kind of thrash taken down to lower registers and slower tempos, which takes Karma into territory much more conducive to death metal, forming a blend that stood out from the rest in those years.
What follows, from track 4 to 10, comes from a demo recorded live in the rehearsal space where Karma’s original lineup—a quintet—used to practice. It was recorded using an 8-channel mixer and a cassette recorder. While this means the sound quality may not be the best, it allows us to trace Karma’s evolution in both sound and style. First, after a tortuous intro titled “SSS,” we have the opening track, “Lies (World Lives On Them),” which moves comfortably and unhurriedly into Hardcore—a genre the band would go on to incorporate into their music, refreshing and accelerating their sound, as can also be heard in “The Beast,” which likewise feels closer to Thrash. Also featured is “Not Paradise On Heaven,” a track somewhat reminiscent of Sepultura’s old sound, of whom they immediately perform a solid cover, specifically of the well-known “Troops Of Doom.”
“TV Sickness” isn’t what it seems. It’s a long instrumental track, featuring various styles within the Thrash Metal genre. It’s dynamic, relentless, and showcases all of Karma’s strengths in a single song. This demo concludes with a solid rendition of Metallica’s classic “For Whom The Bell Tolls?”.
Next up is the third demo included in this compilation. We’re talking about the 1993 demo, which included seven tracks that, according to the band, were recorded on a mere 4-track portable studio with the sole purpose of allowing Chilean engineer José Luis Corral to familiarize himself with Karma’s material, as he had been chosen to produce “Fear Of Destiny,” which would ultimately become the band’s first album.
In this case, we hear a Karma with a much more refined sound, leaning much more toward crossover hardcore while maintaining that unmistakable connection to thrash metal—a genre they’ve never strayed from—which is more than welcome news. First up is “Terror Aids,” a tremendous display of aggression and aggressive riffs at a relentless, catchy pace. “Life Is Wrong” continues in the same vein but with a much more grinding, crushing rhythm, and vocals that, rather than being guttural, come across as more raspy and visceral.
Things continue with “Seeking A Door,” which is much more violent, fast, and furious, while the riff in “Nuclear Epidemic” proves to be interesting and catchy, taking the band into territory much closer to the Thrash Metal that Sepultura or Kreator—to name two references—were able to create in their day.
One thing worth noting about these Karma demos is that the band didn’t copy itself; rather, while always staying true to their sound, each of their tracks showcases something different, as is the case with “Odio Song,” which shifts through its tempos and rhythms as if Karma were constantly shifting gears, but with a creative way of tying the different parts together, showcasing one of the most interesting facets of their sound.
Finally, we have new versions of the tracks “A Long Time Ago” and “Is Death My Solution?”, which were already recorded on their first demo, but here we hear them within the context of the evolution Karma had already demonstrated by the end of 1993.

Without a doubt, this collection of demos demonstrates what Karma was all about in those years. It’s a shame that more wasn’t invested in this band, which, with its sound, proved that Argentina had plenty of material—and good material at that.
On the other hand, it’s a good decision to showcase the beginnings, remember the old days, and never forget where it all started. In that sense, this historical and archival material fulfills its purpose.
What falls short, as was to be expected, is the sound quality. It must be kept in mind that this material, as we mentioned, was recorded with equipment that would be unacceptable today and even with rather precarious means. Even so, it is evident that every effort has been made to restore this historically significant material to the best of their ability.
The design concept is simple, but the cover features a work of art—specifically, a piece by Argentine visual artist Jorgelina Santamaría from her “Corpus Christi” series; the interior provides the necessary information to reconstruct this part of Karma’s history during the ’90s, including old concert flyers, photographs of the various lineups, and technical details for each of the included recordings.
It never hurts to revisit history. It allows us to remember the good old days, but also to recognize where we started. Karma can be proud. Their work stands the test of time, with a sound that is every bit as good as the genre’s greats.
Below, so you can see and hear what Karma’s sound was all about, we’ve included the official video for the track “Terror A.I.D.S.”, in the final version that appeared on the 1994 album “Fear Of Destiny,” and of course, Karma’s social media handles, so you can follow and support them…