For our next band, we return to the land of Hellas, home of some of the world's best black metal. NERGAL, from the city of Piraeus, stands as one of Greece's elite and a purveyor of some truly fantastic black metal.
Formed around 1989, Nergal burst on to the scene as Greek black metal was really coming into its own: Rotting Christ had completed the transition to black metal from grindcore, and Necromantia and Varathron had put out truly cult-worthy demos. Into the mix came some rather unremarkable self-released demos from Nergal in '90 and '91. By the time of their titled demos, including 1992's In the Name of Nergal and 1993's The Talisman of Kioutha, Nergal had begun to carve out a niche for themselves.
This is The Talisman of Kioutha demo
With a dark, mystical aura, and a focus on more rhythmic and melodic guitar patterns, Nergal put their own spin on what we now call hellenic black metal. Lyrically, Nergal was obsessed with evil and the occult, and their songs were constructed with this atmosphere in mind.
In 1993 came the De Vermis Mysteriis EP, which is when the world black metal scene really started paying attention to them. Composed of only four songs (including an intro and an outro), Nergal's style really shone forth on this release: the midpaced riffing, eerily gothic synths, and bass-heavy production helped set them apart from a Greek scene that was awash with poseurs.
In its entirety, here is 1993's De Vermis Mysteriis
After a split release with fellow countrymen Funeral Urn the following year, Nergal entered the studio and composed their masterpiece: the full-length gem The Wizard of Nerath. A unique release, Nerath managed to combine a trebly, necro guitar sound that clearly owes at least a partial debt to Scandinavian black metal, with a penchant for Hellenic black metal-style rhythms and atmospheric synths. While not quite on the level of His Majesty at the Swamp or Non Serviam, Nerath does easily hold its own with For the Glory of Ur or Unspeakable Cults.
From The Wizard of Nerath, this is "My Soul, Blood Will Be Dripping"
Nergal was on track to become of Hellas's black metal elite after the release of Nerath. And yet it was over a decade before they put out its follow-up. One of the things that allegedly put a damper on their music-making activities was harassment from the Greek authorities for the promotion of evil and Satanism in their music.
Whatever the case, Nergal has put out some really thought-provoking hellenic black metal in recent years: 2017's Νυκτα Γεματη Θαματα - Νυκτα Σπαρμενη Μαγια is a fantastic addition to the canon of cult-worthy Greek black metal albums.
Select Discography:
Promo '90 (demo) (1990)
Demo 1991 (demo) (1991)
In the Name of Nergal (demo) (1992)
The Middle Ages Return 7" (1993)
The Talisman of Kioutha (demo) (1993)
De Vermis Mysteriis EP (1993)
Magie Cérémonielle (split with Funeral Urn) (1994)
The more you dig into the depths that is the early 90s Norwegian black metal scene, the more you are able to appreciate the different styles that were pioneered. Case in point: depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM). While many folks think of it as a more recent phenomenon, created by perhaps Shining or Xasthur, this isn't the case. Norwegian band STRID, from the town of Askim, is credited as the inventor of the style.
Formed in 1991 as Malfeitor by band members Storm, Samhain, Lost, and Funeral, the original stated goal was to make music that was true to the nascent black metal ethos that was emerging in Norway. Their self-titled demo--recorded in the drummer's basement--was possessed of that grim, forbidding black metal atmosphere, but it wasn't groundbreakingly unique.
This is 1991's Malfeitor in full
After a second demo (Pandemonium) the following year, the band underwent some line-up and stylistic changes. As a result, they changed their name to Battle, and soon thereafter, to Strid (which is the Norwegian word for "battle"). The stylistic changes are what is worth talking about, as they led to the sound we associate with this band--and the foundations of DSBM.
This is 1993's End of Life
In 1993, Strid released their first demo--End of Life (it was recorded when they were still Battle). Consisting of one eleven minute song (the title track), End was a mid-paced black metal song with riffing that created a sorrowful aura. These melodic riffs were definitely squarely in the traditional Norwegian black style, but by putting them over a moody tempo, an entirely new atmosphere was achieved. The song "End of Life" is a testament to the beauty of darkness.
In addition to the sound and structure of End laying the foundation for one of black metal's subgenres (you can hear Xasthur, Shining, Lifelover, and pretty much any other modern DSBM band in the sound on End), the lyrical content was a shift as well. Obviously suicide and self-destruction had been a part of black metal--think of Mayhem's Dead, for example, cutting himself on stage during live performances. With Strid, though, it became the raison d'etre for their music.
"Nattevandring" comes from the Strid EP
The following year, Strid put out a self-titled EP. Only comprised of two songs--"Nattevandring" and "Det Hviskes Blant Sorte Vinder"--the EP was a melancholic continuation of the sound from End, as you can hear above. The motivation for creating such dark and morose music came from, in the words of guitarist Ravn Harjar, the desire "to isolate from society and the modern world" because they "felt a lot of anger and hate." More than simply the hatred toward Christianity that was, at bottom, the starting point for all black metal, Strid felt animus toward "everything that had contributed to bring our existence to the present situation with decay in more or less every aspect of the world and culture." It's not a big leap from this kind of feeling to self-hatred and self-destruction.
And this was all the music that Strid ever made. The band itself soldiered on for a few more years after the self-titled EP's release, but got put on indefinite hold when life imitated art: founding band member Storm killed himself in 2001. After fellow founding member Samhain died in 2014, the band officially broke up. However, there have been stirrings that Strid does have plans for the future. We shall see.
Select Discography: as Malfeitor:
Malfeitor (demo) (1991)
Pandemonium (demo) (1992)
as Strid: End of Life (demo) (1993) Strid EP (1994)
Southeast Asia is truly a hotbed of great black metal. The black metal-loving masses know Singapore is home to legends like Abhorer, Impiety, Rudra, and As-Sahar, and in recent years some great stuff has come out of countries like Thailand, but one of the best-kept secrets is the early black metal scene in Malaysia. To tell the story of the Malaysian black metal scene in the late 80s and early 90s is also to tell the story of the Watchtower Fraternity Circle.
But first, let's dig into the roots of the scene. While one could point to extreme thrash band BLACKFIRE as the godfather of Malaysian extreme metal (having formed in 1981), I don't know that they ever put out any official demos or albums before they went on hiatus in 1988. But another legendary band stands as the ancestor of Malaysian black metal: old school black/death pioneer RATOR. Hailing from Petaling Jaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Rator formed in 1987. They played a raw, vicious, and fast old-school style that--like many 80s bands--straddled the line between death and black metal. The sound on their one demo from this era--1989's Evil Symphony--sounds dated by today's standards, but is still a solid extreme metal release. Take a listen:
"Death Metal Warrior" is from Rator's '89 demo
In the late 80s/early 90s world of tape trading, Rator's demo circulated pretty far and wide, with praise coming from artists like Beherit and Rotting Christ. The relative success of this demo led to some complation appearances, but Rator didn't last more than a couple of years past the demo's heyday--they broke up in 1993. The demo took on a life of its own, though, and was reissued numerous times. Rator did eventually reform in the new millenium and has put out new material.
A rare pic of Rator
Following in the footsteps of Rator, extreme metallers NECROFIST formed in 1989, also hailing from Petaling Jaya. Inspired by the old school black/death metal madness of Rator, Necrofist were no slouches themselves. After a rehearsal demo they threw together in 1990, they managed to put out a demo in 1991 that--like Rator's--spread their name far beyond the borders of their native Malaysia.
This is Necrofist's 1991 demo
As a result of the tape trading associated with the old-school black metal scene, Necrofist began corresponding with some of the members of the Norwegian scene. They struck up professional relationships with luminaries such as Fenriz from Darkthrone and Euronymous from Mayhem. The band then changed their name to NEBIRAS in late '91.
"Holocaust of Apocalypse" is from Nebiras's 1993 demo
In terms of underground credibility, the very early 90s were good years for Nebiras. Their connection to Norwegian black metal paid off in spades--they were reviewed in underground zines the world over, and Nebiras mastermind Agathos Daimon even got a shout out in Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky. By 1993, Nebiras had put out their first major demo (As the Sky Turns Black), and Fenriz himself had written a poem dedicated to the band that appeared in the demo's liner notes.
Nebiras's sound had evolved from the raw old-school style of their Necrofist days to something cold, vile, and necro. The trebly and lo-fi guitar tone was clearly inspired by Norwegian black metal, as you can hear on their 1994 demo, Our Blood for His Glory:
This is Our Blood for His Glory in full
It was also around this time that the members of Nebiras had joined forces with other Malaysian bands like Bazzah and Conqueror to form the Watchtower Fraternity Circle. Like Norway's Inner Circle, the goal was to spread the evil ethos of black metal far and wide without compromising the extreme nature of black metal.
In this context, Nebiras's star continued to rise. Their connection with global black metal made them underground legends, and this culminated in the release of a proper studio album, 1998's The Great Rites.
Another band that was a member of the Watchtower Fraternity Circle was Raub's BAZZAH. Formed around 1990, Bazzah drew heavy inspiration from not just the Norwegian scene, but you can hear Von and Sarcofago as well in the raw brutal black metal they played in their early years. Their 1993 demo, Necromancy, is testimony to this:
Bazzah, like many other extreme metal bands in Malaysia, often struggled to get their music to the masses because of government oppression. Death is All I See was their first full-length studio album, and they released it in 1996. However, they only managed to sell 300 copies before the Malaysian government destroyed the rest. This has made original copies of this album extremely difficult to find--it can now only mostly be found as a reprint or a bootleg.
"Prince of Darkness" comes from 1996's Death is All I See
By the time of Death is All I See's release, Bazzah's sound had matured. The dark brutality of bands such as Von, Sarcofago, Demoncy had receded in favor of the cold iciness of the classic Norwegian sound--the sharp guitar tone and shrieking vocals are reminiscent of early Emperor. Listen to "Prince of Darkness", above, to hear an example of what I mean.
Their second studio album--1998's Kingdom of the Dead--features more of the same in terms of sound, but the extremely lo-fi production changed their sound pretty radically. As a result, their style on the second album could be described as early 90s Norway fused with Beherit's Drawing Down the Moon.
From Kingdom of the Dead, this is "Abyss"
Since the late nineties, not much has happened with Bazzah. Both Kingdom and Death were re-released on one album by From Beyond Productions in 2004 (with the Kingdom songs being entirely re-recorded versions), and they put out a new demo in 2006, but I don't know what the status of the band is today.
CONQUEROR is one of the lesser lights of Malaysian black metal in comparison with Nebiras and Bazzah, but, as a member of the Watchtower Fraternity Circle, bears investigating. They formed around 1994, and within a year, had recorded what would be their only release--the Cries of the Wolf demo. But it didn't see the light of day until 1997.
Here is the Cries of the Wolf demo in its entirety
As can be heard on the demo, the template for Conqueror's sound was the cold, necro style of classic Norwegian black metal. With a guitar tone and production sound that one might find on a Darkthrone or Burzum album, Conqueror were not shy about wearing their influences on their sleeve. Even the band member's stage names made it obvious---their bassist/vocalist's adopted stage name was Emperor Demysteriis.
Beyond these bands, Malaysia truly did have a thriving extreme metal scene. Other bands worth noting include Ungodly Death, Vulga, and Misanthrope, and since the days of the Watchtower Fraternity Circle's peak popularity, extreme metal has grown by leaps and bounds----depite severe government repression and censorship. Without the groundwork laid by Rator, Nebiras, and the like, bands like Neftaraka, Hayagriva, Mantak, and Filsufatia may never have gotten their start.
Select Discography of early Malaysian Black Metal:
Rator:
Evil Symphony(demo) (1989)
Nebiras:
Rehearsal #1 (demo) (1990) (as Necrofist)
Demo #1 (demo) (1991) (as Necrofist)
Demo '92 (demo) (1992)
As the Sky Turns Black (demo) (1993) Dark Live Collection (compilation) (1993)
Our Blood for His Glory (demo) (1994) Into the Medieval Cults (demo) (1996) The Great Rites... EP (1998)
Bazzah:
Necromancy (demo) (1993)
Death is All I See... (full-length) (1996)
Kingdom of the Dead (full-length) (1998)
Conqueror:
Cries of the Wolf (demo) (recorded 1995, released 1997)
One of my favorite American black metal bands, SUMMON emerged as part of the very fruitful late 1980s Midwest extreme metal scene. Lucifer's Hammer is one band I've already mentioned from that scene (in my post on late 80s American black metal), and that band shared some members with Summon (I know vocalist/guitarist Xaphan was in both bands, for example).
Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Summon was formed by Necromodeus and Xaphan in 1991. Upon formation , their initial sound was a black metal infused with a death metal aesthetic--imagine Incantation writing old-school black metal. However, they only managed to release one demo (1992's Devourer of Souls) before putting the band on hold in order to focus on their work with up-and-coming band Masochist.
Here is the 1992 demo in full
Only Necromodeus was present in Masochist from their inception (I think Xaphan was still with Lucifer's Hammer), but Xaphan joined close to the end of that band's career. Masochist also had rising USBM star Tchort on the roster. Tchort is primarily known as the mastermind behind cult band Wind of the Black Mountains (more on that group at a later date).
"Feast of the Goat" is from Masochist's 1993 demo
Masochist played a vicious, apocalyptic-sounding black metal that owed a debt to both death and thrash metal. As an example, listen to the above song, taken from their 1993 demo Frost of the Diabolical Forest. From the years 1992-1994, the band recorded a slew of well-received demos and EPs in this style. While hard to find, much of that material was recently released by Moribund Records as the compilation album History. In 1995, Masochist came to an end. The members of the band had other projects they wanted to focus on. Necromodeus, Xaphan, and Supmur revived Summon, and Tchort wanted to put his energy into Wind of the Black Mountains--a band that was fast rising in the USBM underground.
"Fuck Your God" is the title track from Masochist's 1994 seven-inch EP
Summon--as a three-piece--quickly got down to business. They announced their return to the world of black metal by self-releasing the cassette-only album Fire Turns EverythingBlack in 1995 (it was re-released by Grinding Piece Records in '96).
Here is Fire Turns Everything Black in its entirety
Much had changed in Summon's sound since their first demo. The death metal influence was still there, sure, but the production, vocals, and overall sound was more on the black-thrash end of the spectrum (this does make sense, given that the band had cited old school masters like Venom, Bathory, Destruction, and Kreator as inspiration).
Summon's 1997 album is Dark Descent of Fallen Souls
And this would be the template for the future of Summon's style: furiously fast tremolo picked riffs usually laid over a thrash metal pace, with a drum sound that is reminiscent of aggressive black metal, paired with Satanic lyrics delivered in a screeched voice. Fans of traditional black-thrash, aggressive thrash metal, and well-produced black metal will definitely like what Summon has to offer.
From 2000's Baptized by Fire, this is "Visions of Apocalyptic Grace"
Over the course of several albums released in the late 90s and early 2000s, Summon perfected their style. I would argue that they peaked on 2002's And the Blood Runs Black. This album contains many Summon songs from previous albums, but absolutely honed to perfection. The crisp production complements the thrash-influenced black metal well, and it is my favorite album of theirs.
The title track from And the Blood Runs Black
After 2002's Blood, they put out a good (but not brilliant) follow-up with 2005's Fallen. It was a well-executed slab of thrashing black metal, and enjoyable to listen to. But, alas, change was in the wind in the world of Summon.
"Blood Red Skies" is from 2005's Fallen
Xaphan departed the band in 2006 (he had other projects he was more passionate about pursuing, I believe) and so the band decided to go on hiatus. Things ended on good terms, so a few years later (2009, I think), Summon re-formed with the intention of being a fully functional band--new material and all. A few years after re-forming, Xaphan left the band for good after having a fallout with Necromodeus. I'm not sure of their status today.
Select Discography: Summon:
Devourer of Souls (demo) (1992)
Fire Turns Everything Black (demo) (1995)
Rehearsal Tape '96 (demo) (1996)
Dark Descent of Fallen Souls(full-length album) (1997) Promo Tape (demo) (1998)
Baptized by Fire (full-length album) (2000) No Thoughts from the Sky (full-length album) (2001)
And the Blood Runs Black (full-length album) (2002) Fallen (full-length album) (2005)
Masochist:
The Satanic Baptism(demo) 1992
Feast of the Goat (demo) (1992)
Frost of the Diabolical Forest (demo) (1993) Sucking the Tongue of the Ancient One (demo) (1994) Fuck Your God 7" (1994) Nocturnal Practices (demo) (1995)
Next time: NEBIRAS AND BIRTH OF MALAYSIAN BLACK METAL
Norwegian black metal of the second wave is rightfully the most famous the world has known. Yet even that fruitful scene produced hidden gems. Some bands--like the already mentioned Fleurety--just didn't fit into the neat little categorization of the black metal mainstream. Others--like Vestland's FORGOTTEN WOODS--kept to themselves to such a degree that it might be hard to argue that they were part of any such 'scene.'
Formed in 1991, Forgotten Woods had very little contact with other black metal bands in Norwegian (the exception being that they were friends with the guys in Enslaved). Isolation, as they have admitted, was part of their creative process, and an inspiration in their music. In addition, even their inspiration was unique: they claim to draw upon not just classic extreme metal bands like Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, but moody rock artists like The Doors, Velvet Underground, and Lou Reed.
In its entirety, here is their self-titled 1993 demo
1993 was the year that both of their demos saw the light of day, and, interestingly enough, it's probably the most traditionally Norwegian-sounding material that Forgotten Woods ever created. The riffing was slightly reminiscent of what could be heard in other bands (early Burzum or Emperor, for example), but at the same time, there was an almost rock'n'roll sensibility to their song structure. I've read one reviewer describing their work as "proto black'n'roll", and I think that's a fair assessment.
Their first full-length, 1994's As the Wolves Gather, continued in this rock-oriented vein. The riffing begins to move away from the hyper fast tremolo style associated with traditional black metal and almost takes on a punk feel at times. As an example, listen to the opening riff of the title track, below:
In addition to song structures that didn't fall into the stereotypical Norwegian style, the lyrical content was another way Forgotten Woods stood out. Instead of an anti-Christian, heavily Satanic lyrical orientation, Forgotten Woods's material was more about melancholy and misanthropy. An existential angst permeated their sound, and it continued onto their second full-length, 1996's The Curse of Mankind.
"My Scars Hold Your Dreams" is one of the highlights from their second album
A mid-paced black metal masterpiece, Curse bears some resemblance to modern DSBM but, again, with an almost black'n'roll feel to it. Forgotten Woods's long, epic-length compositions seek to drown the listener in misanthropy, angst and moodiness....a far cry from the Satanic wrath of typical Norse black metal.
While the band has never truly and officially broken up, they do have some rather long hiatuses in their history. After Curse, some of the members of the band chose to focus on a side project of theirs, the band Joyless. In some ways a continuation of Forgotten Woods's Curse of Mankind, Joyless's first album (Unlimited Hate) contains some material that was originally written for Forgotten Woods.
Joyless eventually morphed into depressive rock, but the black metal itch still needed to be scratched. So in 2007, a third Forgotten Woods album was released: Race of Cain. Their trademark misanthropy evident even in the title, this album almost takes the full plunge into millenial black'n'roll (some of the riffing reminds me of Volcano-era Satyricon). It proved divisive among fans.
From Race of Cain, this is "Intolerance is the New Law"
At this point, who knows what the future holds for Forgotten Woods? Will they release a fourth album? They've re-released old material for a new generation of fans, but will we ever hear new work from them? Time will tell.
Select Discography:
Forgotten Woods (demo) (1993)
Through the Woods (demo) (1993)
As the Wolves Gather (full-length album) (1994)
Promo '95 (demo) (1995) Sjel av natten EP (1995) The Curse of Mankind (full-length album) (1996)
In the annals of American black metal, few bands command the respect that Illinois's JUDAS ISCARIOT does. Emerging around 1992 just as the second wave was gaining momentum, Judas Iscariot would practically become the face of USBM during the 1990s.
Fronted by the enigmatic Akhenaten (real name Andrew Harris), the band arose from the ashes of an earlier project, Heidegger. Judas Iscariot--like Heidegger before it--was an outlet for Akhenaten's own beliefs. Instead of an ethno-nationalist ethos, Akhenaten espoused a nihilistic social Darwinism as the basis for his own national socialist ideals. The songs didn't contain lyrics that were specifically national socialist, but the Nietzsche- and Heidegger-inspired nihilism was present.
This is the Heidegger demo in its entirety
Judas Iscariot's first demo was titled Heidegger, and it was a vile, wretched, noisy attempt at primitive black metal. The songs' structures are barely discernible behind the wall of noise that is the guitar playing. It was not an auspicious beginning.
"Midnight Frost" comes from the first full-length
Shortly after the second Judas Iscariot demo saw the light of day, Akhenaten signed with Moribund Records. An underground label on the rise, Moribund has probably done more for USBM than any other label. The first fruit of this collaboration was the first Judas Iscariot full-length album, 1995's The Cold Earth Slept Below.
With a sound that owes a lot to early Burzum (especially the self-titled album) and Darkthrone's early black metal, it was clear that Judas Iscariot was still finding its sound. That said, no other USBM band had a sound quite like Judas Iscariot's.
"They Saw His Pale Visage Emerge From the Darkness" comes from 96's Thy Dying Light
Their second full-length album was released shortly thereafter, also on Moribund. 1996's Thy Dying Light showed some maturity in the song-writing, but the Darkthrone-esque sound was still present. The songs may have been of better quality, but accusations of being a clone of existing bands (Burzum, Darkthrone) were still leveled at the band.
Around this time, Akhenaten relocated to Germany. Like many American black metallers, he was not pleased with the direction of the US black metal scene and did something about it. This was also the time when he recorded Judas Iscariot's third full-length, Of Great Eternity.
From 1997's Of Great Eternity, this is "Then Mourns the Wanderer"
A more mature offering, Of Great Eternity finds Judas Iscariot finally starting to emerge from the shadow of Norwegian black metal and begin to find their own sound. The songs adhered to a classic Norwegian template, yes, but at the same time, there was something new there. And more was yet to come.
The most fruitful and prolific years of Judas Iscariot were the late 1990s and very early 2000s. With a newly recruited full band, Akhenaten put out two fantastic full-length albums in 1999: Distant in Solitary Night and Heaven in Flames.
"The Black Clouds Roll Under the Parapet of the Sky" is a classic Judas Iscariot song from 1999
"Gaze Upon Heaven in Flames" is essentially the title track from their second 1999 album
The last years of Judas Iscariot's existence were easily their best and the years that showed why they belonged among black metal's elite. Following the triumphant albums released in 1999, Judas Iscariot put out, in swift succession, several splits, a live album, and several albums of new material.
From 2002's To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding, this is "In the Valley of Death, I am Their King"
By 2002, Judas Iscariot was no more. Akhenaten had accomplished all he had set out to accomplish, and his disgust with the sell-outs in mainstream black metal dictated that he abandon the scene entirely. But Judas Iscariot had left their mark on world black metal. Any USBM band that exists today and adheres to an underground ethos owes a huge debt to Judas Iscariot.
Distant in Solitary Night (full-length album) (1998) Heaven in Flames (full-length album) (1999)
None Shall Escape the Wrath (split with Krieg, Macabre Omen, and Eternal Majesty) (2000)
Dethroned, Conquered, and Forgotten EP (2000) To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (full-length album) (2002) Moonlight Butchery EP (2002) Midnight Frost (To Rest With Eternity) EP (2003)
For our next band, we visit a nation not often talked about in black metal circles: Netherlands. One of that country's prime examples of great black metal, Rotterdam's FUNERAL WINDS doesn't compromise in their music. The band was formed in 1991 by Hellchrist Xul (guitar) and Gorgoroth (vocals), but it wasn't long before they recruited Esteban on drums and put out some really vile demo material!
Their first demo (a rehearsal from 1992), circulated only among the black metal elite, but it wasn't long before subsequent demos emerged (1993's La Majeste infernable and 1994's Resurrection...)that spread the band's infamy far and wide. This third demo was even released by cult Polish label Pagan Records. This was also an era where they recruited new members, beginning the trend of a rotating cast of musicians outside of the band's core.
This is 1994's Resurrection... demo in its entirety
While their star was rising in the early nineties, and the band was fairly prolific, all was not well in the band. Hellchrist Xul and Esteban didn't get along, and so the band temporarily broke up before even releasing a full-length album. Gorgoroth went on to form Liar of Golgotha (another Dutch black metal band that would go on to become successful), but eventually the members of Funeral Winds reconciled and regrouped. They then began preparing material for a full-length album.
But old grudges die hard, and it wasn't long before Gorgoroth was out of the band and Hellchrist had recruited a whole slew of new musicians who were all willing to add 'Xul' to their stage names (this is the band's hallmark---'Xul' is, I believe, an ancient Sumerian word for 'evil'). This new line-up was the one that recorded their debut album, 1998's Godslayer Xul.
"Thy Eternal Flame" comes from their debut album
In addition to their constantly rotating lineup, Funeral Winds was also known for truly epic live shows--replete with candles, fire breathing, and self-mutilation, all in the name of their Satanic beliefs. You see, Funeral Winds was a band that didn't just talk the talk, they walked the walk. The Satanism associated with black metal was a very real presence in the lives of these Dutch heavy metal maniacs.
But the years after the release of their debut full-length album were not easy ones. The revolving line-up became an issue for the band, and it was over four years before they were able to put out new material. In '03, they put out a split album, followed by their second full-length studio album in 2004, Koude haat.
Koude haat gives us "Dawn of the Bestial Blood"
With a title that means "cold hate", their second album featured more of the angry, vile black metal from their earlier years. With a style that also takes its cues from old-school black/thrash, Funeral Winds is the kind of band that should appeal to all black metallers. Since Koude haat, FW has been consistent---but not as busy. While they have released two solid albums since then, they don't churn them out with regularity.
Their most recent release is 2018's Sinister Creed, and it's as punishing and violent as any FW album. I'd say it's angrier and more aggressive than much of their earlier work. Funeral Winds is definitely a band that should be in the rotation for all fans of true, no-frills black metal.
"The Arrival"--from Sinister Creed--showcases Funeral Winds's style
In a genre that is inherently extreme, FLEURETY stands out as particularly far out there. I'm not talking about the experimental/avant-garde turn they took in the new millenium---I'm talking about the vocals on their early releases. Fleurety has become known for having some of the most inhuman vocals in extreme metal. But more on that shortly. Let's set the stage first....
Part of the explosion of Norwegian black metal bands in the early 90s, Fleurety (from Norway's Viken region) was formed in 1991 by Varg and Nebiros, taking their name from a demon mentioned in several grimoires.
This is the title track from their Black Snow demo
Initially a death metal band called Transmogrification, it was hearing early second wave black metal masterpieces like Samael's Worship Him and Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky that inspired these lads to shift their sound. With this shift, Fleurety joined the still-young Norwegian scene and got to work on new material. The result was the infamous Black Snow demo in 1993.
While the songs on the demo utilized fairly typical guitar riffing for the times, it was---as stated above---the shrill, piercing vocals that set Fleurety apart. They were more high-pitched, with a sound that hurts just to listen to. Fleurety were considered just too weird for even such an extreme genre as black metal. Many fellow Norwegian black metallers lambasted their sound, with some even going so far as to physically attack Nebiros and Varg.
From the 1994 EP, this is "My Resurrection in Eternal Hate"
But they soldiered on. Their demo had caught the attention of record labels, and they signed with British label Aesthetic Records. They released the 7" EP A Darker Shade of Evil through that label. This release showcased a more mature approach to black metal than their demo. It was still in the same style (roughly), but the guitar playing and song structures in general were less amateurish.
Fleurety, however, were just getting started. They returned to the studio and recorded a full-length album: 1995's Min tid skal komme. The weirdness that was only hinted at before had now blossomed into full-fledged progressive tendencies. While the acoustic passages and creative guitar playing could be said to resemble other bands in the Norwegian scene, their songs as a whole veered too far off to the left for the black metal purists now dominating the scene.
"En Skikkelse I Horisonten" is from the '95 full-length
In a way, this progressive approach to black metal could be seen as a precursor to the experimental black metal bands to come. The ethereal atmosphere of Min tid skal komme can be thought of as post-black metal before such a thing existed. Oh, and gone were the shrill inhuman vocals of the early years. Varg (Alexander Nordgaren) could longer perform those vocals, as he had damaged his vocal chords with such shrill screeches!
Min tid skal komme was Fleurety testing the waters. The band has admitted that progressive music, jazz, and electronica were in heavy rotation at the time, and made its way into their music. The 1999 EP Last Minute Lies was hardly black metal at all, and as a result, Fleurety was dropped from their record label. They were soon, however, picked up by Supernal Records.
A taste of the weirdness that is Department of Apocalyptic Affairs
Their second full-length album, Department of Apocalyptic Affairs, was released in 2000, and it took the experimentalism of the earlier years and ran with it. This album bore little resemblance to anything black metal, yet it featured a host of guest musicians from Norway's black metal scene (including from such stalwarts as Mayhem and Arcturus). Since this release, Fleurety's style has more or less remained firmly in the realm of the weird and experimental, and would probably not appeal to most black metal fans. That said, if you're an open-minded music lover, it might be worth your while.
Select Discography:
Black Snow (demo) (1993) A Darker Shade of Evil EP (1994) Promo '95 (demo) (1995)
With each passing day, I am more and more impressed with the Polish black metal scene. It was only a few years ago that I discovered and was blown away by BESATT, who hail from the Polish city of Bytom, and, in a way, that is the story of their existence. They've slaved away in the underground without receiving their due respect. The hardcore black metal elite know who they are, but the average black metal fan who thinks they know the full story? They're in the dark.
Besatt formed in 1991, around the same time as Behemoth and Graveland, but are not nearly as well known as their fellow countrymen. Perhaps it's because Besatt has consistently churned out strong, no-frills black metal without an accompanying ideology to distract you from the music (Graveland) or without incorporating elements from other genres, like death metal (Behemoth). Whatever the case, Besatt is a black metal band you need to know.
Helmed by Satanic stalwarts Beldaroh and Weronis, Besatt had a shifting lineup in its first few years of existence. This lack of stability was one of the reasons that no recorded material from Besatt survives from the early nineties. There are two rehearsals known to exist from this time--the Ares and Wieki ciemne rehearsals, respectively--but I can't even find out their exact dates.
From their 1996 demo, this is "Gniew Demona"
But by 1995, the lineup had solidified. Besatt then churned out their first official demo, which saw the light of day in 1996. Czarci majestat laid down the template for what Besatt would become known for: straightforward Satanic black metal with no gimmicks. Check out a sample from the demo above.
The strength of this demo lead to the opportunity for Besatt to record proper studio albums, beginning with 1997's In Nomine Satanas. This was dark, aggressive, Satanic black metal that pulled no punches, with the speed and intensity of Marduk, Gorgoroth, or Unlord. Calling to mind the best the genre had to offer, Besatt was carving out a niche for themselves. They followed this solid debut with equally evil albums like 2000's Hail Lucifer, 2002's Hellstorm, and 2004's Sacrifice for Satan.
From their debut album, this is "My Religion"
2000's Hail Lucifer gives us "Antichrist"
Luckily, the 2000s saw Besatt's star begin to rise. Along with their blackened, evil sound, Besatt was also becoming known for ritualistic live performances. Their live shows were all part of their Satanic beliefs; unlike some bands, Besatt put their money where their mouth was.
"Final War" is from 2006's Black Mass
Besatt has continued to put out great black metal that really captures the spirit of the genre. They show no sign of letting up, and perhaps one day they will get the credit they deserve.
Norway's Thou Shalt Suffer was known for being the band that featured members of what would eventually be Emperor. Another band that arose from their ashes was ILDJARN (Norwegian for "Fireiron"). Like Burzum, Ildjarn is essentially a one-man band. Unlike Burzum, Ildjarn has produced some of the rawest, most vile sounding black metal in history.
After the demise of Thou Shalt Suffer, Ildjarn (real name Vidar Våer) continued to use their old rehearsal space to create his own music. He eventually began recording on a four-track, with primitive results. His first demos--with Samoth on vocals--saw the light of day in 1992, the same year as Emperor's first demo.
From Ildjarn's second demo...
This early work of his was raw and primitive, yes, but it wasn't too far removed from what other black metal bands in Norway were doing. Burzum's sound on the self-titled release and Emperor's '92 demo are good reference points for Ildjarn's initial sound. But changes lay ahead.
"Kronet" is a great example of Ildjarn's sound--from the self-titled '93 demo
Ildjarn's self-titled 1993 demo (with Ihsahn on vocals) stripped down the sound from the early demos even more. The production was bare bones, the guitars even more vile, the percussion more primitive. In a way, this sonic primitivism reflected Ildjarn's own beliefs about black metal. Black metal, for Ildjarn, was a lifestyle. In true misanthropic fashion, real black metallers---according to Ildjarn---should shun society and retreat into the woods. Ildjarn himself has said that once he has saved up enough money and resources that he would commit fully to the black metal lifestyle.
After honing his craft and putting out a couple more demos, Ildjarn released full-length studio albums on his own label, Norse League Productions. Ildjarn himself has stated that he founded the label for the sole purpose of releasing Ildjarn albums. This was also around the time Ildjarn began collaborating with fellow Norweigan black metaller Nidhogg.
From the 1995 self-titled studio album, this is "Skogslottet"
"Clashing of Swords" is one of Ildjarn's most well-known songs from the album Forest Poetry
These years---1993 to 1996---were Ildjarn's most fruitful. Not only did he put out several albums of absolute classic Norwegian black metal, but his collaboration with Nidhogg and work in the band Sort Vokter also emerged in this era. Ildjarn was extremely busy and prolific.
The Norse album--a collaboration with Nidhogg--is the source of this track, "Svarte Hjerter"
For the most part, the black metal produced by Ildjarn was raw, primitive, and necro. There was no subtlety, just straightforward minimal, lo-fi nastiness. But Ildjarn---much like that other one-man band in classic Norwegian black metal history, Burzum---ventured into ambient territory. Ildjarn (like Varg Vikernes and any other black metaller who created ambient music) recognized that black metal was a mood, a spirit, an ethos. And that could be conveyed with ambient music (although Ildjarn referred to it as "symphonic landscape music").
"Amber Lake" is from the Ildjarn-Nidhogg collaboration Hardangervidda
Ildjarn did more or less end his career at the dawn of the new millennium. But by this point, a new generation of black metal maniacs had discovered his work, and Ildjarn felt compelled to put out all of his previously unreleased material. This culminated in the brilliantly packaged, exhaustive, epic release Ildjarn is Dead in 2005.
This is the entire Ildjarn is Dead release, laid out
Of all the countries that get little to no respect in the world of black metal, Czechia (formerly the Czech Republic) might be at the top of the list. Despite boasting late first wave bands like Törr, Root, and Master's Hammer; classic second wave bands like Dark Storm, Avenger, Inferno, and MANIAC BUTCHER (hailing from Žatec); and recent innovators like Cult of Fire, Kult ofenzivy, nic (Black Strip), and Gorgonea Prima, people still don't give the Czechs the credit they deserve.
Maniac Butcher is perhaps one of the most overlooked and underrated Czech black metal bands. The band formed around 1992 after gestating as an idea in founder Barbarud's head for several years. Citing old-school black, death, and thrash metal bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Slayer, Sodom, Mayhem, and Darkthrone as inspiration, founding members Barbarud and Vlad Blasphemer wanted a musical outlet for their individualist Satanist views. Maniac Butcher was that outlet.
The title track (in Czech, of course) from Immortal Death
It wasn't long after they came into existence that they unleashed the now-classic demo Immortal Death on the world. This demo (and its follow-up, 1994's The Incapable Carrion) featured a rawer take on black metal than was the norm for the early nineties. The black metal of Maniac Butcher was fast, violent, and evil--just like black metal should be. It also featured harsher growls on vocals--almost reminiscent of Blasphemy.
Maniac Butcher kept soldiering forward with two great split albums before releasing a proper full-length debut. The second of these splits (Black Horns of Saaz, a split with fellow Czechs Dark Storm) is one of my favorites. But it is their debut full-length album, Barbarians, that is worth discussing
The title track from Barbarians---notice the cool sample at the beginning!
1995's Barbarians continued the raw-edged black metal of the early demos and splits. With a stripped-down organic production sound, relentlessly fast guitars, and shrieking vocals designed to send shivers down your spine, Maniac Butcher was flying the flag for true black metal at a time when other bands were experimenting and following trends.
One aspect that set Maniac Butcher apart was their unique lyrical content. Yes, they wanted to proclaim their allegiance to Satan, but they managed to do so while singing of their nation's pre-Christian past. Albums like 1996's Lučan-antikrist, for example, delved deep into the mythos of the Lucans themselves, who were the pagan ancestors of modern Czechs and fought against Christians (at least, according to Maniac Butcher).
"Midnight Empire" is one of their best known songs from Lučan-antikrist
Maniac Butcher continued releasing solid black metal with that raw, aggressive edge they were known for. A series of now-classic albums took the world by storm: 1997's Krvestřeb, 1998's Černá krev, 1999's Invaze, and 2000's Epitaph. Epitaph was, in fact, just that---an epitaph for the band. They decided to quit the black metal scene entirely out of disgust with the commercialization of the genre.
"Bloodlust..." is from 1998's Černa krev
This official video was on the CD of Epitaph.
The full title of the song (in a rough English translation) is:
"What's Good for Me, That Good is---It's the Unchanging Rule that Accompanies My Actions Through My Eternal Life"
But after a decade of silence (they did put out compilations and live albums---but no new material), Maniac Butcher re-formed and unleashed new material on the world. 2010's Masakr was Maniac Butcher at their most evil, their most vile. They showed that they hadn't lost a step in their absence. Maniac Butcher is still active, but founder Vlad Blasphemer died in 2015. So the future is uncertain for this great band.
The title track from Masakr
Select Discography:
Immortal Death (demo) (1993)
The Incapable Carrion (demo) (1994)
The Black Horns of Saaz 7" (split with Dark Storm) (1995)
Despite never exploding into international prominence the way Norway's black metal scene did, Finland has been home to a thriving black metal scene since the very beginning. With bands like Vadertopsy, Beherit, and Archgoat dating back to the late 1980s, Finland has never lacked for black metal. By the early nineties, of course, things had truly exploded. BLACK CRUCIFXION, hailing from the northern city of Rovaniemi, was part of that explosion.
Originally formed in 1991 under the name Horned Lord by Forn and Blacksoul, they soon changed their name to Black Crucifixion. As Forn has stated in interviews, Black Crucifixion had more of an edge to it and fit with their artistic vision better than did the name Horned Lord. Rounded out by members of Beherit, Black Crucifixion claimed not only 80's black metal pioneers Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer, and Sarcofago as inspiration, but also the hellenic scene as well. They soon made themselves known on the extreme metal scene in Finland not only with the release of an obscure three-song demo, but by their performance at the Day of Darkness festival in the summer of 1991.
"Flowing Downwards"--from their '92 demo--is perhaps their most well-known song
By the end of 1991, they had recorded a proper demo that saw the light of day in 1992: The Fallen One of Flames. The sound showcased on this demo indicated that Black Crucifixion played by their own rules. That is, they didn't sound like either of the major styles associated with Finland--not the raw brutality associated with Archgoat, Beherit, Belial, etc., and not the in-your-face punk-influenced style of Impaled Nazarene either. Black Crucifixion's style was a gloomier, more morose one than that of their fellow countrymen. The influence of Greek black metal can easily be heard.
In 1993, the band's first real true and proper release, the Promethean Gift EP, made waves in the Finnish black metal scene. Continuing down the twisted path carved by their '92 demo, the band didn't necessarily think of themselves as part of the "black metal" movement. At various times, they have labeled their music "dark metal" or even "extreme metal". And their music, as stated above, never fit into neat categorization either. As heard on Promethean Gift, there was a melancholy--which Forn himself had attributed to the extreme environment of Lapland--at the heart of their music.
Here is the title track off of Promethean Gift
This was a crucial time in the Finnish black metal scene. Archgoat, Beherit, and even Black Crucifixion--for various reasons--went silent in the black metal scene for a number of years. Whereas Beherit disappeared into dark ambient in the mid and late 90s, and Archgoat broke up before eventually re-forming, Black Crucifixion worked on the follow-up to Promethean Gift at a glacial pace. While they started writing and recording material for a new album as early as 1995, they didn't finish it until 2005. In 2006, they then put out the full-length album Faustian Dream.
From Faustian Dream, this is "Wrath Without Hate"
The reasons BC took so long aren't nefarious or obscure. Forn has stated in interviews that they "were busy and had other things to do" and waited until "the music felt relevant again". Perhaps as a result of the passage of time, or the maturing of the band members, Faustian Dream--even moreso than the earlier releases--does not fit well into the black metal pigeonhole. It is, as stated by the band, a "darker metal".
Following the release of 2006's Faustian Dream and a live album from a 1991 concert (2009's Satanic Zeitgeist), BC has been fairly consistent. They have since released a trio of well-received albums, meant to be listened to as a trilogy, and they have been regulars on the festival circuit, introducing themselves to a new generation of listeners.
Select Discography:
Demo 1 (demo) (1991)
The Fallen One of Flames (demo) (1992)
Promethean Gift EP (1993)
Faustian Dream (full-length album) (2006)
Satanic Zeitgeist (live album) (2009) Hope of Retaliation (full-length album) (2011) Coronation of King Darkness (full-length album) (2013) Lightless Violent Chaos (full-length album) (2018)
