Enslaved

Like many bands of Norway's second wave of black metal, ENSLAVED formed from the ashes of a defunct death metal band. The death metal band in question--Phobia--managed to put out a demo before breaking up.

By the time of the demise of Phobia, band members Grutle Kjellson, Ivar Bjornson, and newly recruited drummer K. Johnny (later to go by Trym Torson) set about creating material for this new project, Enslaved. While the sound was definitely firmly in the Norwegian black metal style, the lyrical content moved away from the Satanic and toward Norway's pre-Christian past. Their early demos--1991's Nema and 1992's Yggdrasil (a classic!)--showcase this sound.

"Allfadr Odin" is one of Enslaved's classic demo tracks

Citing Bathory's mature viking metal albums (Twilight of the Gods and Hammerheart) as inspiration, Enslaved viewed their Norse pagan heritage more philosophically than most. For them, it wasn't ideological fodder or reactionary drivel, but a real, meaningful set of beliefs. This philosophical orientation permeated their song lyrics. At the same time, Enslaved's songwriting began to transcend the simpler aspects of the Norwegian black metal template. Beginning with the amazing 1993 EP Hordanes Land (which was also released as a split with Emperor), songs with multiple motifs and long, epic passages started to become the norm for this viking metal band.

One of Enslaved's more well-known songs, this is "Heimdallr"--off of Vikingligr Veldi

Following this EP, Euronymous--who had been a supporter of the band since the beginning--released Enslaved's full-length debut (Vikingligr Veldi) on his Deathlike Silence Productions. This album was a more mature effort at their epic viking metal. Thematically--and to a lesser degree, structurally--this album was quite different than what other Norwegians were doing, but it still fit in the camp of Norwegian black metal in terms of sound. The guitar riffing style, lo-fi production, screeched vocals, and focused use of atmospheric snyths were still a key component of Enslaved's sound.

Since Deathlike Silence went under with Euronymous's death, Enslaved had to search out a new label. Within a few months, not only had they landed a deal with French label Osmose Productions, but they had also released their second full-length album, Frost. This album did continue the viking-themed lyrics, but in terms of sound, Frost was a much more aggressive album. The synths were almost entirely absent, and the song structure resembled that of other Norwegian bands.

"Loke" is an amazing track off of 1994's Frost

Frost was a cold, harsh, unforgiving album. Like much of Enslaved's work from this era, it is an absolute classic of Norwegian black metal. They followed it up with 1997's Eld (Trym Torson had left to join Emperor, so they recruited new drummer Harald Helgeson). Also released on Osmose, Eld was yet another change in style. The production, song structure, and even musical approach stayed true to Enslaved's viking metal ethos, but it was pretty distinct from both Frost and Vikingligr Veldi. 

"Glemt" is my favorite song off Eld

1999's Blodhemn gives us songs like "I Lenker til Ragnarok" 

With these classic releases under their belt, Enslaved was now the master of the viking metal subgenre. With one more solid black metal album in the viking vein to come (1999's Blodhemn), Enslaved had more or less exhausted the possibilities of that particular style. There was nowhere left for them to go but to change the face of black metal completely.

With 2000's Mardraum: Beyond the Within, they did just that. While this album rested on a clear black metal foundation, it bore the influence of more progressive fare at the same time. Epic, long songs filled with time and motif changes, non-standard riffing, and vocal variation dominated this masterpiece. 2001's Monumension took it even further, with song structures that were not only progressive in nature, but borrowed from other genres.

Listen to the new direction evident on Monumension's "The Voices"

Since those early 2000s albums, Enslaved has continued to push the boundaries of their music. Their work still retains elements of the Norwegian black metal from whence they came, but they test the limits further and further with each release.

Select Discography:

Nema (demo) (1991)

Yggdrasil (demo) (1992)

Hordanes Land EP (1993)

Vikingligr Veldi (full-length album) (1994)

Frost (full-length album) (1994)

Eld (full-length album) (1997)

Blodhemn (full-length album) (1999)

Mardraum: Beyond the Within (full-length album) (2000)

Monumension (full-length album) (2001)

Next time: BEHEMOTH

Winged

Italy, as we have seen, is home to a rather fruitful black metal scene. While some of Italy's black metal bands have gone on to some degree of international renown on the world stage--such as Opera IX and Mortuary Drape--other bands were much more underground by nature. Catania, Sicily's WINGED is one such band.

Winged formed in 1991. Fabio War had recently left Sinoath, and soon recruited Alex Storm (bass), Danilo (vocals), and Alexander (drums) to round out this new band of his. After releasing a couple of untitled demos later that year and in 1992, the line-up changed with Devastator replacing Alexander on drums and Fabian taking over on vocals after the departure of Danilo. This new line-up put out a demo that has since taken on legendary status in the underground, 1993's Oath of Blood.

This is Oath of Blood in its entirety

As can be heard above on the demo, Winged's style is kind of an old-school black/death metal. With riffing that is reminiscent of 1980s death metal, but at the same time has an almost hellenic sound to it, the songs on this demo possess a uniquely sinister aura to them. Punctuated by the use of eerie, dark keyboard passages, Winged was definitely on to something new with their sound. No other Italian band of this era had a style like theirs.

1996's A Voice Beyond the Grave highlights a different direction in their sound

This demo caused black metallers throughout the underground to sit up and take notice. However, Winged went on temporary hiatus until late 1995, when they emerged newly invigorated with a relatively fresh line-up: Fabio (guitars), Axl Moto (vocals), FullMoon (bass), and Alf Thunder (drums). The result was two demos in 1996 that showcased a more occultic, black metal sound. The death metal influences of their early years were much more subdued in favor of a playing style that easily fits under the label "black metal". With their black metal credentials more firmly established, Winged entered the studio to create their first (and to date, only) full-length album, From the Arcane Burning Legions.

"Living in My Hell" is off of Winged's full-length debut

Recorded in late 1997 and released in 1998, Legions is a dark, mystical album that balances the sinister black metal stylings of the recent demos with a melodic use of keyboards and clean vocals. The result was a release that was clearly consistent with Winged's earlier efforts, but at the same time did something new. While I would argue that there isn't an "Italian sound" in black metal, per se, I would say that some of the elements of Winged's sound are present to some degree in the work of fellow countrymen Sinoath, Opera IX, and Mortuary Drape (eerie synths, a more mid-paced guitar style, non-traditional black metal vocals, to name a few).

Since the release of 1998's Legions, Winged hasn't really done much. They have put out a four-song EP in 2007 (House of Silence) and a compilation of old material in 2013. Additionally, they have re-released their full-length album a couple of times. There are rumors that new material is being worked on, but until it surfaces, we shall have to see what the future holds for Winged....

Here is the full EP of House of Silence

Select Discography:

Rehearsal Tape (demo) (1991)

Rehearsal '92 (demo) (1992)

Oath of Blood (demo) (1993)

A Voice Beyond the Grave (demo) (1996)

When the Evil Emerges (demo) (1996)

From the Arcane Burning Legions (full-length album) (1998)
The House of Silence EP (2007)

Next time: ENSLAVED

Ammit

While Latin America was a hotbed of first wave black metal activity in the 1980s, the 1990s saw that situation change. Really crucial bands were few and far between. The major exceptions,  then, are worth taking note of. Santiago, Chile's AMMIT is definitely one such band.

Ammit initially formed as a one-man band in 1991--that one man being Count Czar Yang. The demo material recorded in the early years was material that was never intended to be heard or reviewed by the black metal press (such as zines). In terms of style, the early stuff was a more atmospheric approach to an old-school black metal sound. You can clearly hear the influence of 1980s black metal and black/thrash, but there is an almost mystical aura to the music. Check out the title track to 1992 demo Return of the Wizards, below:

This is "Return of the Wizards"

For years, Ammit was an underground phenomenon. One of the primary reasons Ammit remained so entrenched in the underground was the fact that the man behind the band--Count Czar Yang--refused to do interviews (even with zines) or promotional photo shoots. As a result, the band's output through most of the 1990s was demo material.

In 1998, however, Ammit finally released their first full-fledged studio album, Steel Inferno. By the time of this release (and its follow-up, 2000's Mass Suicide), Ammit had abandoned some of more eerie, atmospheric elements present on their early demos. Instead, their style was a raw, old-school style that resembled classic bands like Hellhammer, Sarcofago, and Venom.

Steel Inferno gives us this song, "Ritualistic Crime"

Their style is one that is not for everyone. It's raw, vicious, and fast. It has a crude production style that--to many black metal fans--feels out of place now that the genre has passed its 'growing pains' phase. That being said, this is black metal, and there is always a certain ugliness inherent in it.

Ammit, now having some full-length albums under their belt, was becoming more widely known outside of the darkest corners of the underground. Count Czar Yang has even gone so far as to do interviews with zines, and he recruited additional members to the band--making it a one-man band no more. Since Mass Suicide, Ammit has put out some really spectacular work. Albums like Extreme Speed Satan (2003) and Hammer of Darkness (2006) draw on the vilest, rawest, thrashiest corners of the black metal world. While not exactly a household name, Ammit is a band that continues to carry the torch for nasty old-school black metal, and, in their own way, can be seen to be part of the aggressive South American scene that was initiated by bands like Vulcano, Sarcofago, Holocausto, and Blasfemia.

"Las garras del mal" is from Hammer of Darkness

Here's a sample from 2009's Armageddon Cobra 

Select Discography: 

Return of the Wizards (demo) (1992)

Promotional Tape (demo) (1995)

The Demoniac Defloration (demo) (1996)

Steel Inferno (full-length album) (1998)

Mass Suicide (full-length album) (2000)

Extreme Speed Satan (full-length album) (2003)

Hammer of Darkness (full-length) (2006)

Armageddon Cobra (full-length album)  (2009)

Next time:  WINGED

Satyricon

A classic picture of Satyricon, circa Nemesis Divina

With the Norwegian Second Wave of Black Metal under way, bands of all stripes were emerging left and right. The legendary SATYRICON emerged in the early years of the second wave, around the same time as Emperor. Initially forming in 1990 as death metal band Eczema, it wasn't long before they shifted gears entirely and became a black metal band.

It was in 1991 that they not only became a black metal band,  but that they changed their name to Satyricon and acquired Satyr as band member. It wasn't long before the band put out a demo (1992's All Evil) with a full line-up: Satyr on vocals, Lemarchand on guitars, Wargod on bass, and Exhurtum on drums

This is the title track from their 1992 demo, All Evil

While this demo was well-received, it was their second demo (1993's The Forest is My Throne) that really caught people's attention. Unlike the relatively simple black metal on the first demo, this 1993 demo sounded more like the traditional Norwegian black metal the world has come to know and love (hate?). The line-up was also notably different for this demo: Wargod quit the music scene entirely, Exhurtum was kicked out because he wasn't interested in the direction the black metal scene was taking (although he did later become a part of other important black metal bands in the Norwegian scene, like Aura Noir and Ved Bunes Ende), and Frost was recruited as the new drummer.

"The Forest is My Throne" is from the 1993 demo of the same name

With this noteworthy demo under its belt, Satyricon was courted by record labels, eventually signing with No Fashion Records. They weren't financially very stable, so Norwegian label Tatra Records ended up buying the master tapes of what would become Satyricon's first album, Dark Medieval Times. A new sublabel was created under Tatra Records specifically to release extreme metal: Moonfog Productions, which was helmed by Satyr himself (and has released some amazing albums to this day!). The album was released at the end of 1993 in Norway, and in the rest of the world in 1994.

Here is "Dark Medieval Times"

Dark Medieval Times was a powerful mix of standard Norwegian-style black metal and folk elements (including folk instruments). This was a reflection of Satyr's interest in the middle ages and folk culture. Check out the title track to the album, above.

By this point, Satyricon was a two-piece: Frost and Satyr. They still recruited session players for recording purposes, including Emperor's Samoth and Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto (who went by the name Kveldulv).

The follow-up to Medieval Times was 1994's The Shadowthrone, another solid album of classic Norwegian black metal. But it was 1996's Nemesis Divina that really saw Satyricon elevate black metal to new heights. In addition to folk elements, Nemesis saw the band incorporating symphonic elements and more clean vocals. This--combined with the crisp, regal guitar sound they had borrowed from Thorns's Snorre Ruch--resulted in a truly epic black metal album that is an absolute classic  of Norwegian black metal. 

The opening track from Nemesis Divina--this is "Dawn of a New Age"

This powerful album was easily the peak of Satyricon's brilliance in this phase of their career. The next few years would see them transition to a different style of black metal. While EPs such as Megiddo (1997) and Intermezzo II (1999) saw them begin to incorporate non-black metal elements into their sound (including electronics and industrial), it was their approach to song-writing that shaped their sound. The music began to take on a more hard rock edge, moving away from the high-speed riffing and lo-fi production of second wave black metal, and adopting more traditonal rock'n'roll structures to their songs. Full-length albums such as 1999's Rebel Extravaganza and 2002's Volcano highlight this sound shift well.

This is the official music video for "Fuel for Hatred" (from Volcano)

With this change in style, Satyricon had helped pioneer a new approach to black metal. This particular sound--the blending of black metal sensibilities with hard rock song structures--has since come to be known as black'n'roll (a play on the title "death'n'roll," a subgenre associated with post-Wolverine Blues Entombed). Some other bands associated with this subgenre are Vreid, Khold, and post-millenial Darkthrone (more on Darkthrone's black'n'roll phase later).

Here is Satyricon performing perhaps their most famous song, "Mother North" (off of Nemesis Divina), with a full operatic chorus

Select Discography:

All Evil (demo) (1992)

The Forest is My Throne (demo) (1993)

Dark Medieval Times (full-length album) (1994)

The Shadowthrone (full-length album) (1995)

Nemesis Divina (full-length) (1996)

Rebel Extravaganza (full-length album) (1999)

Volcano (full-length album) (2002)

Now, Diabolical (full-length) (2005)

Age of Nero (full-length album) (2008)

Next time: AMMIT

Ungod

Germany's UNGOD, hailing from Bavaria, is a band that has made an impact on German black metal, but is not as widely known outside the borders of their native land. Their music in the early 90s helped shape the German scene almost as much as that of Desaster's or Eminenz's, and in that regard, they are an important band.

Ungod was formed in late 1991 by Schiekron (bass), Condemptor (drums), Ancient Blasphemic Grave Invocator (guitar), Angel of Blasphemy (guitar), and Infamist of Tumulus (vocals). Citing old-school masters Hellhammer,  Venom, and Bathory as inspiration--as well as Master's Hammer, Samael, and the early Greek scene--Ungod set about creating vile, blasphemous music shortly after their inception.

Here is their 1992 demo in its entirety

The result was the 1992 demo Magicus Tallis Damnatio. As you can hear above, this demo is raw and primitive black metal that not only bears the imprint of Ungod's aforementioned inspirations, but you can also hear the influence of bands like Sarcofago and Blasphemy. The intense minimalism of their sound also calls to mind the style of Dutch band Bestial Summoning.

Speaking of Bestial Summoning, the release of Magicus caught the ear of The Unsane, vocalist for that Dutch band. After reviewing the demo favorably in his underground zine, he approached  the band with the idea of putting out a full-length album on his label, Heretic Supremacist Records. The band agreed.

"Journey Through Forgotten Myth" comes from their 1993 full-length, Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts

The resulting album, Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts, is a refining of their demo sound and a milestone in 1990s German black metal. The influence of Samael and Master's Hammer can be heard pretty strongly, yet the album stands on its own. Heretic Supremacist Records released the album on vinyl in early 1993 before folding. Germany's Merciless Records then put out the album on CD in late 1993.

With this album, Ungod had now established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in German black metal. That being said, they still remained a very underground band. Over the next few years, they only managed to put out splits with other underground bands and the occasional demo. While their cult, underground ethos propeled them forward, they never exploded on the international scene in the way that fellow Germans Desaster or Nagelfar did. Due to personnel issues, the band broke up in 1998.

The 2009 self-titled EP is the source of this song, "Dawn of the Black Apocalypse"

Other than a re-release of the Magicus demo as a split with Baxaxaxa (a band that featured Condemptor and Ancient Blasphemic Grave Invocator) in 2002, there was silence from Ungod for many years. Then, in 2008, members of the band were approached by Kneel Before the Master's Throne Records about re-releasing 1993's Circle. This eventually led to the band re-forming with the original line-up fairly intact (new member Kvaltor was now their sole guitarist, however). Since re-forming, Ungod has been extremely prolific, putting out multiple full-length albums and continuing their tradition of collaborating on split albums with other underground bands.

An example of their recent sound, "Blessed by the Whore" is from their 2016 album, Bewitched by Sins and Lust

Select Discography:

Magicus Tallis Damnatio (demo) (1992)

Instrumental Rehearsal (demo) (1993)

Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts (full-length album) (1993)

Conquering What Was Once Ours EP (1995)

Renaissance of the Dark Arcade 7" (split with Cabal) (1995)

Aeon of Sunless Dominion 7" (split with Desaster) (1995)
Promo 1995 (demo) (1995)

Phallus Cult 7" (split with Sadistic Intent) (1998)

Ungod EP (2009)

Cloaked in Eternal Darkness (full-length album) (2011)

Bewitched by Sins and Lust (full-length album) (2016)

Next time: SATYRICON

Black Witchery

The American black metal scene, as has been mentioned before, got off to a slower start than many other countries' scenes. The 1980s saw some important advancements by bands like Goatlord and NME, and by the early 1990s, groups like Von, Profanatica, and Demoncy were helping the style evolve, but nothing as fruitful as the Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, or Greek scenes took hold for several years.

Instead, bands were few and far between for several years in the nineties, and a lot of these bands confined their activity to the underground. One such band was black/death band IRREVERENT, from Florida. Forming in 1990, they intially started out as a band interested primarily in covering old-school black metal bands like Hellhammer and Bathory.

"Crush the Messiah" is one of Irreverent's songs from an old demo

After a couple of years as Irreverent, the band kind of ran out of steam and essentially broke up. From the ashes of this band arose WITCHERY. Their style was darker, heavier, more aggressive. By the time Witchery formed in the mid-nineties, the American black metal scene was in full swing, but Witchery was playing in a style not well-represented in the black metal mainstream. The Norwegian template laid down by Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Burzum on the one hand and the eerie symphonic stylings of Emperor, Cradle of Filth, and Dimmu Borgir on the other were the two dominant modes of making black metal, but Witchery's sound resembled an Americanized version of Blasphemy-style war metal.

Witchery's 1998 demo Evil Shall Prevail gives us "Dominion of Everlasting Darkness"

Witchery's demo material from the mid-nineties was well-received in the underground, but member Darkwulf eventually left the band due to his disgust with the direction the USBM scene was taking. Main man Impurath then recruited Tregenda and Vaz to round out the band. With this change, their music got even darker and more hellish. It was also around this time that the Swedish retro-thrash band Witchery was starting to get really big on the international metal scene, so Impurath and company decided to change their name. Thus, BLACK WITCHERY was born in 1998.

After 8 years of laboring in the American black metal underground, this band--under the moniker Black Witchery--was finally able to start putting out proper studio releases. Their first such release was 1998's Summoning of the Infernal Legions 7" on Dark Horizon Records. It featured new versions of old Witchery classics. However, I would say that the release that really dragged Black Witchery from the underground into the light (so to speak) was their split album with Canadian war metallers Conqueror. This album--entitled Hellstorm of Evil Vengeance--is a savage black metal masterpiece, and perhaps my favorite black metal split of all time.

From the split with Conqueror, this is "Unholy Vengeance of War"

With these releases, Black Witchery was now becoming known as one of USBM's more crucial bands. Their style of war metal was still not incredibly common in the American scene, so this made them even more of a curious anomaly. Nevertheless, they have remained a consistent source of black metal intensity since their re-branding as Black Witchery in 1998. Studio albums such as 2001's Desecration of the Holy Kingdom and 2005's Upheaval of Satanic Might showcase this brutal, unapologetic style.

"Command of the Iron Baphomet" comes from Desecration of the Holy Kingdom

2005's Upheaval of Satanic Might gives us "Darkness Attack"

Impurath, the mastermind and main driving force behind Black Witchery

Select Discography:

as Irreverent:

Inverted Crucifixion (demo) (1991)

Crush the Messiah (demo) (1992)

as Witchery:

Death to Trends (demo) (1997)

Evil Shall Prevail (demo) (1998)

as Black Witchery:

Summoning of the Infernal Legions EP (1998)

Hellstorm of Evil Vengeance (split with Conqueror) (1999)

Desecration of the Holy Kingdom (full-length album) (2001)

Upheaval of Satanic Might (full-length album) (2005)

Live Destruction Ritual (live album) (2010)

Inferno of Sacred Destruction (full-length album) (2010)

Holocaustic Death March to Humanity's Doom (split with Revenge) (2015)

Next time: UNGOD

Deiphago

Traveling to the Philippines, we encounter that country's most famous extreme metal band: Manila's DEIPHAGO. Like many bands from East Asia and Southeast Asia, Deiphago plays a brutal style of black metal that clearly draws on Blasphemy and Sarcofago, and can be compared to other bands from the region like Abhorer, Impiety, and Zygoatsis.

Initially forming in 1989 as Satanas, Filipino metal maniacs Voltaire 666 and Sidapa sought to create evil, dark music in the vein of classic old-school black metal bands like Venom, Sodom, Hellhammer, and Sarcofago. They didn't exist long in this incarnation before changing their name to Baalzebul and eventually Deiphago in 1990. They have since admitted in interviews that the inspiration for this name change was their admiration for Brazil's Sarcofago and American death metal band Deicide.

"Satanas" is from their untitled 1991 demo

Their output for much of the 1990s consisted of some really raw, really vile, truly evil-sounding demos. Their first demo--an untitled demo from 1991--showcases the influence of the bands listed above that inspired their formation. Their sound slowly began to evolve to a heavier, more grindcore-influenced style, and the result was a 1993 demo entitled Hail Mary Inanna. By this time, bands such as Morbid Angel, Beherit, and Impaled Nazarene had begun to shape Deiphago's sound. Such influences can be heard on the demo.

This live performance from 1993 highlights their early sound

Deiphago continued as a purely underground phenomenon for many more years. They put out a demo in 1997, but then life circumstances necessitated that they put the band on hiatus. In their own words, they "had to concentrate on [their] professions to survive." In addition to that, the Filipino society in which they lived--famous for its religiosity--was a difficult one in which to create black and death metal.

This is a re-recorded version of the title track from 2006's Rapeslay of the Virgin Mary demo

In 2004, Deiphago relocated to Costa Rica. This was the year they ended their hiatus and set to work writing new music. They released the Rapeslay of the Virgin Mary demo in 2006, followed by their first full-length album, Satanik Eon that same year. Their sound from the nineties was still intact on these releases: vile, aggressive black/death metal with harsh, growled vocals and pummeling percussion.

2009's Filipino Antichrist is an outstanding Deiphago release

Following Satanik Eon, Deiphago has released a steady stream of raw black/death albums that has helped them maintain their cult status. Never compromising their artistic vision, these Filipino metal maniacs show that brutal black metal intensity knows no boundaries.

Select Discography:

Rehearsal (demo) (1991)

Hail Mary Inanna (demo) (1993)

Demo '97 (demo) (1997)

Rapeslay of the Virgin Mary (demo) (2006)

Satanik Eon (full-length album) (2006)

Filipino Antichrist (full-length album) (2009)

XCIII 7" (2011)

Satan Alpha Omega (full-length album) (2012)

Into the Eye of Satan (full-length album) (2015)

Next time: BLACK WITCHERY

Emperor

By 1991-1992, the Norwegian black metal boom of the second wave was in full swing. While some bands date to the 1980s (Mayhem, Darkthrone, Thorns) and others formed in 1990 or 1991 and were becoming more widely known (Immortal, Burzum, Arcturus), some bands didn't form until 1991 or 1992, and therefore were--relatively speaking--'latecomers' to the scene. The almighty EMPEROR could (loosely) be characterized as such a band.

As stated in my entry on the pre-boom Norwegian scene, the core of Emperor centered around members of the recently-disbanded Thou Shalt Suffer. Thou Shalt Suffer was, as mentioned earlier, more on the death metal side of extreme metal than black metal, but they still centered around occultic, evil themes, and had a blackened aura. Samoth and Ihsahn had started crafting black metal compositions in their last few months in Thou Shalt Suffer, and had soon recruited Mortiis on bass.

An early band photo, from 1992

This trio set about writing material that soon would become their 1992 demo Wrath of the Tyrant. Featuring a raw sound very dissimilar to what they would later become known for, this is one of the essential demos of second wave Norwegian black metal. Yet at the same time, it was not a clone of what bands like Mayhem or Burzum or Darkthrone were doing.

"Moon Over Kara-Shehr"is from that 1992 demo

This demo really caught the attention of metalheads worldwide. They were courted by many labels, but ended up signing with the fledgling label Candlelight Records. Having recently recruited Bard "Faust" Eithun on drums, they put out another epic release, their 1993 self-titled EP. This EP was also released as a split album with Enslaved's Hordane's Land EP the same year. This proved to be hugely influential in the black metal scene. Emperor's sound really stood out from the black metal masses on this release: their use of focused keyboards to enhance the music gave the EP an almost mystical feel.

Their self-titled EP gave us "Night of the Graveless Souls"

With this EP, Emperor was now considered one of Norway's black metal elite. They were being mentioned in the same breath as Burzum, Mayhem, and Immortal. Their newfound success that resulted from the self-titled EP led to more opportunities. After replacing Mortiis on bass with Tchort, Emperor was given the opportunity to tour the UK with up-and-comers Cradle of Filth (who were themselves on the cusp of releasing their first full-length album). This helped spread the Emperor name far and wide.

The opening track of Emperor's now-legendary In the Nightside Eclipse

Following this tour, Emperor entered the studio to record their first actual full-length album. The result--1994's In the Nightside Eclipse--is one of the ultimate masterpieces of all black metal. One of the earliest efforts of symphonic black metal, Emperor's use of synths on this album truly enhanced the music, carrying the dark, mystical atmosphere of their earlier work to new heights. Simply listen to "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" (above) to hear how epic the synths complement the metal. This album was truly a game-changer. To my ears, every symphonic black metal release since Eclipse owes at least a partial debt to Emperor.

However, all was not well in the world of Emperor. As the activities of Norway's black metal Inner Circle drew attention to the scene--and not in a good way--the deeds of the musicians caught up to them. Samoth, for example, was implicated in several church burnings and imprisoned for a few years. As the main composer for the band, this put Emperor in a tough spot. At the same time, Tchort was imprisoned for assault and Faust went to jail for a very highly-publicized murder he committed in 1992. This left Ihsahn as the sole member of the band not in prison.

Here is the music video for Emperor's "The Loss and Curse of Reverence"

Samoth was released from prison a few years later, and Emperor resumed their musical activities with newly-recruited drummer Trym Torson (formerly of Enslaved). They quickly reminded the world of their epic style with releases such as the Reverence EP in March of 1997 and their second full-length album Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk in May of 1997. These albums highlighted a new sound for the band. Taking the symphonic darkness of Eclipse in a more progressive direction, Anthems is one of the most well-received albums in black metal history.

The late 1990s saw Emperor basically becoming the face of Norwegian black metal. They also worked on expanding the boundaries of the genre. In 1999, for example, they released a collaboration with Snorre Ruch's Thorns (Thorns vs. Emperor) that featured an excellent cover of Thorns's classic track "Aerie Descent".

This is Emperor's cover of "Aerie Descent"

1999 also saw the release of Emperor's third full-length, IX Equilibrium. This album can be seen as a continuation of the slightly more progressive stylings of Anthems. Emperor had also begun to incorporate clean singing and at times, the influence of death metal could be heard. Their next--and final--studio album (2001's Prometheus: Discipline of Fire and Demise) featured more of the same.

My favorite track from IX Equilibrium, "Decrystallizing Reason"

In the wake of the release of Prometheus, Emperor disbanded. The members of the band simply had different musical visions and wanted to pursue new projects. Ihsahn has since gone on to a self-titled solo project, as well as being a member of bands Peccatum and Hardingrock. Samoth focused his energy primarily on black/death metal band Zyklon, along with Trym.

Emperor has re-formed a couple of times since their initial disbanding, and has played several well-received tours and live shows. In my opinion, Emperor will go down in history as one of the greatest black metal bands ever. Period.

Select Discography: 

Wrath of the Tyrant (demo) (1992)

Emperor EP (1993)

In the Nightside Eclipse (full-length album) (1994)

As the Shadows Rise EP (1994)

Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (full-length album) (1997)

IX Equilibrium (full-length) (1999)

Thorns vs. Emperor (split album with Thorns) (1999)

Emperial Live Ceremony (live album) (2000)

Prometheus: Discipline of Fire and Demise (full-length album) (2001)

Next time: DEIPHAGO

Les Legions Noires: Mütiilation

France's current black metal scene is one of the most exciting--and diverse--of our times. From avant-garde bands like Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord, to the more raw, explosive style of Antaeus and Aosoth, to brutal black/death bands like Arkhon Infaustus and Temple of Baal, to the industrial black metal of Blacklodge and NKVD, to post-black metal like Alcest and Amesoeurs, France's black metal scene is one of my favorites. However, it wasn't always this way. France really had no scene to speak of--except for obscure bands like Ixion and Skullface--until the emergence of a cadre of bands that eventually dubbed themselves the Black Legions ("Les Legions Noires" in French--sometimes abbreviated LLN).

The roots of the LLN go back to bands like Chapel of Ghouls and Zelda (a band which itself sprang from the remains of Chapel of Ghouls). That being said, the most prolific, most famous, and most important band of LLN is MÜTIILATION, from the region of Occitanie in the south of France. While many musicians have come and gone through the ranks of Mütiilation, it is mostly associated with dark mastermind Meyhna'ch (born one Willy Roussel).

Mütiilation's Meyhna'ch

Formed in 1991, Mütiilation's name misspelling is on purpose. Meyhna'ch himself has said that it was spelled 'wrong' because Mütiilation is a "'wrong' project for 'wrong' people in a 'wrong' world." Meyhna'ch was one of the earliest people involved in the circle of bands known as LLN, and, in fact, was the person who came up with the name. LLN were always shrouded in secrecy and mystery---and Mütiilation was no exception. Much of the information we have about LLN and Meyhna'ch was revealed secondhand or after the LLN collapsed in on itself in 1996.

Mütiilation's style--as well as that of most of the LLN--can be characterized as some of the rawest, most vile, most necro sounding black metal ever conceived. The goal of LLN seemed to be to take the extreme aesthetic elements of black metal and push them as far as possible. Even some black metal fans have characterized LLN's music as noise. As a result of this extreme sound, it's tough to hear any influences in Mütiilation's style, per se, but Meyhna'ch has expressed admiration for Bathory, Venom, and Darkthrone.

This version of "Desecrate Jesus Name" is from a 1993 demo

In terms of output, the official releases put out by Mütiilation were extremely rare and difficult to find. This was partly due to the fact many of them were only circulated among the members of LLN, and the wider black metal listening public only became aware of some of this music through leaked bootlegs. That being said, it was one of Mütiilation's official releases--1994's Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions--which helped spread the name of the LLN wider and further in the black metal scene at large. This is a truly iconic release in the history of underground black metal, and French black metal specifically.

"Black Wind of War" comes from that classic 1994 EP, Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions

The years 1994-1995 were probably the most fruitful for LLN. Many of the releases associated with LLN bands began to trickle out in to larger swaths of world black metal fandom, and the only officially sanctioned studio album of the movement was released: Mütiilation's 1995 album, Vampires of Black Imperial Blood. This album was clearly a continuation of the vile and raw sound that Mütiilation had become known for, and even though it was an actual studio album, it is still too extreme in its sound for some black metal fans.

"Transylvania" might be Mütiilation's most famous song

While this album was a milestone for LLN and underground French black metal, trouble was on the horizon. Meyhna'ch and the other members of LLN seemed to have differing goals regarding their black metal. Meyhna'ch wanted to focus on the music more, while many of the other key members of LLN were interested living an elitist black metal lifestyle (including living in the woods like "the Manson family," according to Meyhna'ch himself). Additionally, there was in-fighting among the LLN about the fact that some of their releases were spreading far and wide, contrary to their elite ethos. Meyhna'ch left LLN in 1996 and dissolved Mütiilation; the LLN didn't officially last too long after that.

"Suffer the Gestalt" comes from 1999's Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul

Rumors began to circulate that Meyhna'ch had killed himself, but he clarified in later years that it was a metaphorical death, meant to express his intentions regarding Mütiilation. Nevertheless, around the turn of the millenium, Meyhna'ch resurrected the band as a solo project, independent of Les Legions Noires. With a compilation album featuring material recorded in 1993-1996 (the 1999 album Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul), Mütiilation was in full swing again. Before folding again in 2009, Meyhna'ch put out several well-received albums. Since the demise of his primary project, he has been a part of black metal bands such as Hell Militia, Gestapo 666, Sektemtum, and Doctor Livingstone.

Select Discography: 

Rites Through the Twilight of Hell (demo) (1992)

Ceremony of the Black Cult (demo) (1993)

Hail Satanas We Are the Black Legions EP  (1994)

Black Imperial Blood (demo) (1994)

Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (full-length album) (1995)

Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (compilation) (1999)

Black Millenium (Grimly Reborn) (full-length album) (2001)

Majestas Leprosus (full-length album) (2003)

Rattenkönig (2005)

Sorrow Galaxies (2007)

Next time: EMPEROR

Graveland

These days, there is some truly quality black metal coming out of Poland. Mgła, Cultes des Ghoules, Kriegsmaschine, Furia, Massemord, Medico Peste, and a slew of other bands push forward the boundaries of black metal, all while staying true to the genre's roots. Before all of these bands, however, the mighty GRAVELAND, from the city of Wroclaw, was one of the chief standard-bearers of Polish black metal.

As a band, Graveland has mostly been about achieving the musical vision of founder and main songwriter Rob Darken. Darken is an extremely controversial figure in black metal history, on par with Varg Vikernes for sheer notoriety. He arose from the far-right wing of the Polish black metal scene, with views that could be characterized as National Socialist (Nazi). In a series of highly incendiary interviews throughout the early and mid-1990s, Darken espoused his views to anyone who would listen. Needless to say, time has tempered his views. Some say this is because Darken has recognized that Graveland's fanbase comes from all over the globe--and includes many non-Polish, non-European, non-white fans. Some say that he has merely mellowed with age. And some say he believes the same things, but is not vocal about it for fear of commercial backlash (this seems the least likely to me, as black metal doesn't usually take commerical interests into consideration). What can be said for certain is that Darken does currently hold pagan-inspired ethno-nationalist beliefs. He may or may not still be a National Socialist, but he still trucks with the extreme far-right. All of this being said, Graveland's music has always reflected Darken's obsession with his European pagan heritage and love of an idealized past.

Darken initially formed Graveland as a solo project in 1991, heavily inspired by Bathory and the emerging Norwegian scene. Demos such as Necromanteion and Drunemeton (both released in 1992) showcase a raw, unpolished style that Graveland was known for in their early years. The early Graveland sound is an odd, eerie death/black metal with an old-school vibe, replete with an almost industrial feel to it because of the production values and the incorporation of keyboards and evil sound samples.

"The Celts Ride Over Graveland" is a well-known demo song from 1992's Necromanteion

After these early demos in 1992, Darken recruited others to help him realize his musical vision. Karcharoth (of Infernum fame) and Capricornus were key musicians in the shaping of Graveland's sound after the band transitioned away from their initial raw sound. Some of the stronger demos from these years--like 1993's In the Glare of the Burning Churches and 1994's Celtic Winter--are absolute classics of early 1990s Polish black metal, and have influenced countless bands from all over the world. In terms of style, I think 1993's Glare is a demo that easily holds its own with many full-length albums of the early second wave.

From In the Glare of the Burning Churches, this is "Night of the Fullmoon"

With a full roster, Graveland set about recording what would be their first album, Carpathian Wolves. This album was a continuation of the sound of the Glare and Winter demos. On this album, we also see Graveland began to craft long, epic, almost progressively-structured black metal songs---something that would become their trademark on future albums. Another aspect of Graveland's sound that was present on this album was the use of thematically-relevant samples that helped to create the eerie, occultic black metal atmosphere. Note the intro sample of wolves howling below as it segues into the song "In the Northern Carpathians":

Carpathian Wolves really caught the attention of the black metal world as a whole. Graveland were then able to sign with Austrian label Lethal Records for the release of their second album, A Thousand Swords. This album was a strong release in the vein of 1994's Wolves, yet at the same time represented a move away from pure black metal into a more folk/pagan-styled sound. Unfortunately for the band, Darken's statements on his political and racial beliefs in some interviews in this time period caused Lethal Records to drop the band.

The next phase of Graveland's existence saw them shift even further away from a pure, old-school black metal to a more folk-influenced sound. With a core of Darken and Capricornus (Karcharoth left in 1995), the band began to focus on a sound that reflected Darken's obsession with his pagan beliefs. This sound has more or less persisted to this day (in varying forms). It can rightly be characterized as a viking/folk/pagan black metal more than anything else. Graveland songs began increasing in length, with epic symphonic passages that are designed to evoke ancient battlefields from Europe's pre-Christian past. Even the album titles reflect this aesthetic change and interest in heritage and the past: Following the Voice of Blood, Immortal Pride, Memory and Destiny, etc.

"Sacrifice for Honour" is from 1998's Immortal Pride--note how long it is!

Graveland's sound has been fairly consistent since their transition to a more viking-esque style. They continue to release albums to this day focusing on pagan eras goneby, painting sweeping soundscapes that fans of any pagan or viking black metal owes it to themselves to check out.

Select Discography: 

Necromanteion (demo) (1992)

Drunemeton (demo)  (1993)

In the Glare of the Burning Churches (demo) (1993)

Celtic Winter (demo) (1994)

Carpathian Wolves (full-length)  (1994)

Thousand Swords (full-length) (1995)

Following the Voice of Blood (full-length) (1997)

Immortal Pride (full-length) (1998)

Creed of Iron (full-length) (2000)

Next time: FRANCE'S LES LEGIONS NOIRES - MÜTIILATION

Norwegian black metal before the boom....

It is no exaggeration to say that Norway's black metal scene is the most important in the history of the genre. Once the style took hold, and bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Immortal, Burzum, Thorns, and more began creating black metal music, the world of metal was forever changed. However, I want to highlight some important and lesser-known developments in Norwegian black metal before the explosion of the early 1990s.

Tromsø's 666

Mayhem, despite what most people know and think, is not actually the first Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1984 in Oslo, this is true, but the band 666--from the city of Tromsø--predates the existence of Mayhem. They formed in 1982 and played a darkly satanic style of metal that owes a lot to 70s hard rock. They never released any proper studio albums, but did become known in the metal underground for their live shows. Their only releases, in fact, are recordings of several early 1980s live shows that surfaced in the 1990s and later.

"Lucifer" is one of 666's more well-known songs

Select Discography:

Live I (recorded 1982, released 1998)

Live II (recorded 1982, released 1998)

Live III (recorded 1983, released 2003)

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Sarpsborg's PERDITION HEARSE formed as Disorder in 1988, but by 1990 they had changed their name and were putting out demos of old-school black metal. Their sound was a very unrefined style that still drew on a death/thrash template but was recognizably black metal nonetheless.

"My Ancient Gods Behind Them" is off of the demo Mala Fide

The mastermind behind Perdition Hearse was the man known as Occultus. Despite Perdition Hearse's early appearance on the scene, Occultus himself would go on to be a part of the Norwegian black metal boom in his own right: he was one of the co-founders of the infamous Helvete record shop, and played session bass in Mayhem for a short time.

Select Discography:

Rehearsal (demo) (1990)

The Stealthy Beyond Death (demo) (1991)

Mala Fide (demo) (1992)

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In the 1980s and early 1990s, a few other bands in Norway popped up on the radar as part of early efforts at black metal. Some of these bands went on to make an impact; others, not so much. Black/thrash band BLASPHEMER, for example, isn't known for much beyond two nasty-sounding demos, and may very well be a joke band (one rumor is that Metalion, of Slayer magazine, was a member). Here is a sample of their sound from the 1986 demo Voice of Dead Babbs:

Oslo's VALHALL--having formed in 1987--followed a pretty interesting trajectory in relation to black metal. A side project of Darkthrone's Fenriz, they actually released a slew of noteworthy demos in the late 80s and early 90s before becoming a stoner doom band and leaving behind black/death metal entirely.

This is their 1988 demo Castle of Death in full

There were some other obscure bands that emerged before Norwegian black metal exploded from the underground into metal mainstream notoriety--like Råde's SLAUGHT or Askim's FESTER--but their impact was even more minimal than the above-mentioned bands.

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With all of that being said, two bands that are worth mentioning because of their role in shaping what would become the Norwegian black metal boom are OLD FUNERAL and THOU SHALT SUFFER. Neither band were really black metal, per se, but they both served as influences on the scene as well as bands with some rather famous rosters.

OLD FUNERAL

Forming as Funeral in 1988, they supposedly started calling themselves 'Old Funeral' because of another band named Funeral that arose shortly thereafter. Old Funeral was especially notable because it contained--at various points in its four years of existence--Abbath and Demonaz from Immortal, Varg from Burzum, and Jørn from Hades. Interestingly enough, these men were never all in the band at the same time.

"Skin and Bone" can be found on the 1990 demo, Abduction of Limbs

In terms of their sound, it clearly owed a large debt to the emerging Swedish death metal scene that was all the rage. The raw, evil style of this band can also clearly be seen as a precursor to the black metal brilliance that Norway would soon be known for.

The band more or less had a rotating roster, but it had broken up for good by 1992. After Mayhem's Euronymous had laid down the gauntlet in a late 1991 magazine interview--calling out Norwegian extreme metal musicians for their lack of creativity and blatant attempts at cloning American and Swedish death metal--many musicians answered the call by seeking to join the ranks of black metal elite. Abbath and Demonaz went on to form Immortal (after briefly dabbling in death metal again with AMPUTATION), Varg Vikernes resurrected Uruk-Hai (which eventually evolved into Burzum), and Jørn formed Hades.

Old Funeral's Select Discography:

The Fart that Should Not Be (demo) (1989)

Abduction of Limbs (demo) (1990)

Devoured Carcass 7" (1991)

The Older Ones (compilation) (1999)

THOU SHALT SUFFER

Thou Shalt Suffer, on the other hand, more or less served as proving grounds for musicians who would go on to form Emperor and Ildjarn (more on these two entities at a later date).

Initially formed in 1990 by Ihsahn and Samoth as Dark Device, Thou Shalt Suffer played more on the black metal side of the extreme metal spectrum than death metal. Exploring eerie and dark sounds with the synth compositions that Ihsahn provided, Thou Shalt Suffer was actually a pretty unique band for 1991 Norway. 

This is the title track from the 1991 demo Into the Woods of Belial

Again, much like Old Funeral, the members of Thou Shalt Suffer began to explore new sounds outside of the bounds of this project as a result of Euronymous's call to arms. Samoth, for example, began composing songs that would eventually become the first music for Emperor, and Ildjarn sought to form his own eponymous band that would go on to become highly influential.

Thou Shalt Suffer Select Discography:

Rehearsal (demo) (1991)

Open the Mysteries of Your Creation 7" (1991)

Into the Woods of Belial (demo) (1991)

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Next time: GRAVELAND