In the Czech black metal scene, the names of A-list bands like Master's Hammer, Root, and Maniac Butcher ring out. But just below them are bands like AVENGER. Hailing from the South Bohemian Region, they formed in 1992 as Astaroth before changing their name in 1993.
Announcing themselves to the world with demos like 1994's Minister of Madness, they began life as an old-school death metal band. Their sound was unremarkable in this regard, but the best was yet to come.
Here is Minister of Madness in its entirety
They struggled getting off the ground because of their early line-up instability, but after some label interest, were able to put out their debut full-length album, 1997's Shadows of the Damned. Their sound was still fundamentally an old-school death metal style, but with some black metal elements mixed in (I maintain that some of the riffing in some of the songs would sound more like black metal with slightly different drumming laid underneath).
"Kořeny zla" comes from Shadows of the Damned
Their follow-up album was 1999's Fall of Devotion, Wrath and Blasphemy. The band was initially not happy with the album's sound, so they re-recorded it in 2001 at Hellsound, a studio owned and operated by band co-founder and primary song writer Honza Kapák. Whichever version you listen to, the change in sound from their first album is apparent. It's still a (mostly) death metal foundation, but with some black metal riffs and drumming. Sound-wise, it's as if old-school Swedish death and black metal collaborated.
From their second full-length album, this is "V Okovech"
As the years passed, Avenger's sound began to incorporate more and more black metal elements. They've become known in metal circles for their blackened death metal style, but they call themselves "Bohemian dark metal" (even going so far as to release an album with that title in 2012). After the release of a sixth album in 2017, they disbanded--only to reform as a new band, Bohemyst.
From 2003's Godless, here is "Execution of the Soul"
Bohemian Dark Metal gives us "Fales a apatie"
Select Discography:
Pandemonium (demo) (1993)
Eternal Voices of Hell (demo) (1993)
Minister of Madness (demo) (1994)
The Black Zone (demo) (1995)
Shadows of the Damned (full-length) (1997)
Fall of Devotion, Wrath and Blasphemy (full-length) (1999/2001)
Godless (...Assuming the Throne of Immortality...) (full-length) (2003)
Feast of Anger, Joy of Despair (full-length) (2009)
Bohemian Dark Metal (full-length) (2012)
Next time: FRANCE'S LES LÉGIONS NOIRES - VLAD TEPES
The early 90's Norwegian black metal scene is positively bursting at the seams with great bands. One band that got its start a little later than many of the classic bands is Bergen's GORGOROTH.
Citing Bathory, Venom, and Celtic Frost as influences, Gorgoroth was formed in 1992 by Goat Pervertor, Hat (Norwegian for "Hate"), and Infernus--who would be the main force driving the band over the course of the years. They debuted with the now-classic demo, A Sorcery Written in Blood. This demo would earn them a record deal and be the start of their notoriety.
Off of their '93 demo, this is "Sexual Blood Gargling"
The band's limited contact with the members of the Inner Circle allowed them to perform at a live show in Oslo in tribute to Euronymous. It also allowed them to pick up Samoth (of Emperor fame) as a session bassist when they recorded their debut album, Pentagram.
Pentagram was a solid slab of Norwegian black metal. With a sound that holds its own next to early 90s Mayhem and Burzum, Pentagram has rightfully become a classic. Highlighted by Hat's demonic screeching, the album is 30-plus minutes of blazing evil black metal. Compared to some of the advances in black metal songwriting of more recent years, however, the album might sound dated to some, but it is crucial to the founding of the classic Norwegian sound.
Pentagram gives us this classic, "Ritual"
After the release of Pentagram, Satyricon's Frost joined on drums, and Infernus took over on bass. The resulting album--1996's Antichrist--was a more varied, more atmospheric sound. With a dedication to Euronymous in the liner notes, this album pushed the classic black metal sound forward in a way comparable to Burzum's quartet of 90s albums.
The follow-up album (1997's Under the Sign of Hell) was perhaps the strongest and most well-received of Gorgoroth's so-called "classic trilogy". Featuring a more punishing production style than its predecessors, Underthe Sign is now revered as a landmark in Norwegian black metal.
"Heavens Fall" is off of Antichrist
From their 1997 album, this is "Krig"
The years immediately after the release of Under the Sign were chaotic ones for Gorgoroth. For one, they struggled to keep a stable line-up. Also, they struggled in the songwriting department as well. For example, their 1998 album Destroyer (with the Nietzschean subtitle About How to Philosophize With a Hammer) contained old songs that had never been put on record alongside newer ones. The personnel involved totaled ten individuals--including outgoing vocalist Pest and incoming vocalist Gaahl. The resulting album was a sloppily produced mess that has divided fans to this day. 2000's Incipit Satan wasn't much better, with electronic and industrial elements, and songs that didn't meet the exacting standards of many a fan. Both of these albums are considered among Gorgoroth's weakest.
Here is the title track to 2000's Incipit Satan
Over the next few years, bassist King ov Hell would emerge as the primary song writer for Gorgoroth. This resulted in two albums that were a huge improvement over Destroyer and Incipit, but still had their own unique sound. Vocalist Gaahl served prison time for assault, and this delayed release of their albums, but he was still fully committed to Gorgoroth as well.
From their 2003 album, here is "Forces of Satan Storms"
In addition to Gaahl's jail time for assault (and the resulting publicity), two other major events in these years caused Gorgoroth's infamy to grow. First off, they recorded a concert in Poland in 2004 with the intent of marketing it as a live concert DVD, but things went sour. The authorities seized the footage because they alleged it violated Poland's "religious sensibilities" law. Of course, a blasphemous black metal band performing live SHOULD violate people's "religious sensibilities"! The DVD did eventually go on sale as Black Mass Krakow.
Second, a rift developed in the band with Gaahl and King ov Hell on one side and Infernus on the other. Each side claimed to be the true Gorgoroth, with the dispute eventually going to court. The courts decided for Infernus, and he recruited new members and has continued the band to this day.
"Satan - Prometheus" is a song off of the first album of Infernus-driven/post-Gaahl Gorgoroth, 2009's Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
Select Discography:
A Sorcery Written in Blood (demo) (1993)
Pentagram (full-length) (1994)
Antichrist (full-length) (1996)
Under the Sign of Hell (full-length) (1997)
Destroyer (full-length) (1998)
Incipit Satan (full-length) (2000)
Twilight of the Idols - In Conspiracy With Satan (full-length) (2003)
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (full-length) (2006)
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt (full-length) (2009)
Heading back to the far east, let us talk about the Japanese black metal scene. In the tradition of great black/thrash like Sabbat, we have the ever-irreverent ABIGAIL. Taking their name from a King Diamond album and song, Tokyo's Abigail is primarily the brainchild of metal maniac Yasuyuki (who also goes by the name Barbatos).
Formed around 1991-92, Abigail originally played covers of bands like Venom, Mötorhead, and Slayer. Other than those bands, they cite as their influences older bands like Bathory, Sodom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, NME, and Bulldozer. Even on their early demos (a 1992 untitled demo and 1993's Blasphemy Night), their raw black/thrash bore the mark of those influences. Heck, two of the tracks on Blasphemy Night are covers (Sodom and Bathory).
Here is 1993's Blasphemy Night
In 1993 Abigail entered the studio to record their first official release. The result was 1994's Descending From a Blackend Sky, on Heretic Supremacist Records. A 7-inch, this EP showcases that raw, in-your-face black/thrash of their early years. Stylistically, it's got thrash metal structure, but with lo-fi second-wave black metal intensity. Check it out, below:
And here's where things began to get interesting. In 1996, Abigail churned out their first full-length album, Intercourse & Lust, on Modern Invasion records. This began Abigail's obsession with sex. To them, part of the appeal of black metal was its transgression of so many social norms: its Satanism, its evil, its non-conformity, its lustiness. In fact, Yasuyuki has said in multiple interviews that he sometimes uses porn as inspiration. One interviewer has gone so far as to call them "the sluttiest band in black metal".
"Confound Eternal" comes from that first album
Since that first album, Abigail has been very prolific. EPs, 7-inches, live albums....Abigail has released it all. One reason for so many smaller releases and live albums is that, even by Yasuyuki's own admission, the band says yes to pretty much every offer from record labels.
2003's Forever Street Metal Bitch gives us this track, "Black Metal Thunder"
To this day, they are known for their raw, vicious black/thrash (even though they call their own music "street metal"). Fast, intense, and unapologetic, fans of well-executed black/thrash owe it to themselves to check out Abigail.
"Satanik Metal Fucking Hell" is off of 2005's Ultimate Unholy Death
2016's The Final Damnation gives us "Open the Gates of Hell"
(Very) Select Discography:
Demo (1992)
Blasphemy Night (demo) (1993)
Descending from a Blackend Sky EP (1994)
Abigail (split EP with Funeral Winds) (1995)
Intercourse & Lust (full-length) (1996)
Confound Eternal 7" (1996)
Welcome All Hell Fuckers EP (2001)
Sexual Metal Holocaust 12" (split with Barbatos) (2002)
Austrian extreme metal isn't the most well-known the world over, but there are a handful of bands who've made a massive impact. BELPHEGOR is definitely one such band. In their own words, they play "metal of death" with "blasting black metal influences."
Arising from the ashes of old-school death metal band Betrayer, Belphegor was formed in 1992 by Helmuth, Chris, and Max. Their goal, like many such extreme bands, was to make extremely brutal music that was "raw, primitive, and obscene." Inspired by such bands as Death, Deicide, Mayhem, Slayer, and Mötorhead, they have definitely succeeded in their stated goal!
This is their complete 1993 demo, Bloodbath in Paradise
They released a brutal, take-no-prisoners demo in 1993, Bloodbath in Paradise. The music on this demo was a vicious, angry death metal--not really black metal at all. But Belphegor were just getting started!
After the 1994 EP Obscure and Deep, they entered the studio and recorded their first full-length album, The Last Supper. A continuation of their early sound, this album combined the raw death metal they had already been playing with atmospheric synths and black metal tempos for a black/death sound unlike any other.
"A Funeral Without a Cry" comes from their first full-length album
Off of 1997's Blutsabbath, here is "Purity through Fire"
Belphegor's third full-length, Necrodaemon Terrorsathan, showed a shift in sound. On this release, the death metal receded a bit in favor of black metal-influenced song structures. Brutal death metal riffs (reminiscent of Morbid Angel, to my ears) gave way to blazing fast passages that would not feel out of place in a Swedish black metal album. Check out "Vomit Upon the Cross," below:
Belphegor is definitely a band that marches to the beat of their own drum. When they formed, American death metal was peaking and second wave Norwegian black metal was on the rise. Yet, they chose not to follow either path, but carve their own. Even their lyrical inspiration--everything from the poetry and prose of Marquis de Sade to occultic writings of Aleister Crowley to the texts of ancient rituals--doesn't always neatly fit into the trendy extreme metal topics of the day.
In the early 2000s, Belphegor continued to plug away as an underground extreme metal band. Besides two incredible albums of vile black/death (Lucifer Incestus and Goatreich Fleshcult), they also put out a live album on their own record label. But it was in 2006 that saw things really shift for the band.
"Hell's Ambassador" is the most well-known song from '06's Pestapokalypse VI
First off, their latest album--2006's Pestapokalypse VI--was getting rave reviews. The mainstream metal media was finally giving Belphegor the kudos they deserved. Second, this was also the time when Belphegor had slimmed down to a two-piece: Helmuth and Serpenth were now the core of the band. Add this to the fact that they were finally on a record label that could properly support them (Nuclear Blast), and we'd entered a new phase for these Austrian metal maniacs.
2008's Bondage Goat Zombie gives us "Stigma Diabolicum"
The focus for the band since then has been staying true to their musical vision, all while relentlessly touring. They think of their performances as "rituals"--not shows. In 2010, while on tour, Helmuth was exposed to contaminated water and contracted typhus. The experience nearly killed him. But after a long recovery, Helmuth emerged as dedicated as ever to Belphegor. And the band keeps soldiering on.
"Rex Tremendae Majestis" is from 2014's Conjuring the Dead
Norwegian band TULUS is one of the hidden gems of the Norwegian scene. Many people might know them as the band that led to the formation of Khold, but they're an important band in their own right.
Formed in 1991 by Sarke and Blodstrup, Tulus are known for their unique sound. After an untitled demo in 1993, they put out the demos Samlerens kammer in '94 and Midvintermåne in '95. Even on these demos, Tulus's unique sound was evident.
Here is the complete 1994 demo, Samlerens kammer
Tulus's first full-length album, 1996's Pure Black Energy, was an album that contained mostly re-recorded versions of their demo tracks. But, as I said above, even on such early songs, Tulus's creative approach to black metal was apparent. They found ways to incorporate stringed instruments and female choir vocals in ways that set them apart even from symphonic black metal.
"Søstre av natten" is off of their first album
Another unique aspect of Tulus's black metal was that many of their songs didn't fit into the mold established by other Norwegian masters like Darkthrone or Mayhem. Instead they, by their own admission, borrowed from bands like Mötorhead. As a result, they had many guitar passages that were structured more like hard rock than traditional black metal. In this way, Tulus can be seen as the true forerunners of black'n'roll.
From their 1997 album, Mysterion, this is "Skuggeskip"
After the release of three now-classic albums in the 1990s, Sarke and Blodstrup felt like they wanted to create darker, harsher music--something that didn't fit with what Tulus was doing. They recruited a couple of new musicians, and Khold was born as, in their own words, "the reincarnation of Tulus." Tulus was put on hold while Khold was getting off the ground.
From Evil 1999, this is "Salme"
After some success as Khold, the core of the band (Sarke and Blodstrup--who had gone by 'Gard' during his time in Khold) decided they needed to express themselves musically in a more unlimited way, so they set about recording new material under the Tulus banner again. 2007's Biography Obscene was the result. And since that year, both bands have continued to churn out music. Khold is an important enough band that they will get their own post at a later date.
I noted earlier that there is no such thing as one, single Italian black metal style. And I stand by that statement. Mortuary Drape, Sinoath, Schizo, Winged, Opera IX...they sound nothing alike. Even bands that are part of the same subgenre (Necrodeath and Bulldozer are both black/thrash by modern standards) have unique styles. Rome's STORMLORD is further evidence of this.
Formed in 1991, Stormlord initially began as a death metal project. Their first demo in 1992 bears this out. After recruiting a second guitarist, they released a second demo in 1993, Black Knight. Due to the use of well- placed synths, this demo had a more epic, grand feel to it. This epic aura would continue on future releases.
This is the Black Knight demo in its entirety
After these two demos, the band began to get tired of the direction death metal was going in. Additionally, they weren't happy with the sound of their death metal growls. They then began crafting epic songs that leaned more in the direction of black metal. Around this time, record labels began expressing an interest in the band, too. After crafting a promo of material for record labels and then an MCD of new material in 1997, the band released their first full-length studio album in 1999.
This is "War (The Supreme Art)"
Titled The Supreme Art of War, this album saw a mix of symphonic black metal, epic power metal, and some folk elements as well. By the band's own admission, the sound on Art of War was a result of a more democratic approach to song writing and their new keyboard player being classically trained. The epic synth passages gave the entire album an almost medieval, folk vibe.
"...And Winter Was" is off of their 2001 album, At the Gates of Utopia
Exploding out of the underground and into the black metal mainstream at a time when symphonic black metal was peaking, Stormlord resisted that label themselves. Noting that they thought of bands like Immortal and Darkthrone as black metal, while bands that incorporated synths the way they and Dimmu Borgir did were something different, they labeled themselves "epic extreme metal."
"Dance with Hecate" comes from their 2004 album, The Gorgon Cult
I would argue that the label they came up with for themselves makes sense the more you listen to their later albums. Beyond the elements of symphonic black metal, you have a wide variety of clean vocals, operatic vocals, riffing that is reminiscent of power and death metal, and exotic folk elements. Fans of viking metal, folk black metal, and symphonic black metal would enjoy what Stormlord has to offer, but they're really so much more than that.
From 2008's Mare Nostrum, this is "And the Wind Shall Scream My Name"
Like Crucifier, GRAVEWÜRM is one of those American bands that toiled away in the underground with demo after demo before releasing actual studio albums. Hailing from near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before relocating to Northern Virginia (where I live!) and then Ohio, Gravewürm plays a raw, angry black metal not for the faint of heart.
Originally formed as Dominion in 1990, they started off as more of a doom-death band. But as the main force behind the band, Funeral Grave (born one Kevin Fye), became more interested in bands like Goatlord, Beherit, Burzum, and Emperor, it became necessary to change the face of Dominion completely. And so by 1992, Gravewürm had emerged.
1993's Possessed by Darkness is an early demo
By their own admission, their sound draws on first-wave black metal bands and classic heavy metal. There are no blastbeats, and the song structures are very straightforward. The influence of old-school bands like Venom, Sodom, and Hellhammer is apparent as well.
This is the title track to their '96 demo
By the band's own admission, it was a challenge to get record labels interested in putting out a full-length studio album. Their sound didn't match any of the black metal trends of the day (clones of the Norwegian styles of Darkthrone or Mayhem, or symphonic black metal), so label after label passed on them in the late 1990s. That didn't stop them from releasing vicious underground demos!
This is a live performance of "Ancient Storms of War", the title track from their first official studio album
Once labels expressed interest, Gravewürm simply has not stopped releasing album after album of nasty, vile old-school black metal. 2000's Ancient Storms of War was their first official studio album (see above for the title track), and since that time, they've released over twenty albums.
"Under the Banner of War" comes from the 2005 album of the same name
Gravewürm has also admitted that they're not afraid to mix it up a little bit. Sometimes an album will draw heavily on old-school black/thrash, sometimes it will draw on doom metal, and so on. At the end of the day, you know you're getting raw, brutal black metal that is true to the old-school ethos!
Off of 2010's Blood of the Pentagram, this is "Goat Command"
"Lair of the Gravewurm" is from 2015's Doomed to Eternity
One of the great things about exploring any genre of metal is discovering new bands. The big names of black metal--Mayhem, Immortal, Darkthrone, Emperor, Burzum--are known by everyone. But those mid-tier bands that slave away just beneath the surface? It's exciting to watch when people discover them. KAMPFAR is a Norwegian band that the casual black metal fan knows little about. But the true black metal aficionados know them as a tried-and-true pagan black metal band.
Originating from the ashes of MOCK, who existed from 1991-1994, Kampfar was for years the brainchild of Thomas and Dolk. Dolk cut his teeth in the aforementioned Mock. Mock's sound was a classic Norwegian black metal that bears all the hallmarks of the early second wave. Check out their 1994 demo, Cold Winter, below:
After Mock dissolved in 1994, Dolk still had the yearning to create black metal. The story goes that he had a bassline written for a black metal song, but it wasn't until he met Thomas that he had a music-writing partner who was able to write the perfect guitar part to go with it. This became the song "Kampfar." Shortly thereafter, they wrote "Hymne". And this material became their first demo, and eventually, the self-titled EP.
The Kampfar EP contains both the songs "Hymne" and "Kampfar"
In these early years of Kampfar's existence, Thomas and Dolk were the only two members of the band. Dolk brought a black metal sensibility to the table that was balanced out by Thomas's more classical and folk-oriented approach to music. This is what allowed Kampfar to create their now-classic pagan/folk black metal. The incorporation of clean, chanting vocals and folk/non-traditional instruments helped make Kampfar's music a crucial stage in the development of pagan and viking black metal. An album like 1997's Mellom skoggkledde aaser easily holds its own when put next to albums like Vikingligr Veldi or Hammerheart.
From their 1997 album, this is "Valgalderkvad"
In these early years of the band, they weren't the most prolific. Dolk attributes this to his and Thomas's writing process. They were more painstaking about their approach to writing their music. As a result, in this stage--when only Thomas and Dolk were the members of the band--they only churned out two full-length albums, the above-mentioned 1997 album and 1999's Fra underverdenen.
From their 1999 album, this is "Norse"
Things changed pretty radically in the early 2000s. Ask and Jon were recruited as new members, on drums and bass respectively. Their writing process shifted in a major way, and the band became more prolific. In the 2000s, Kampfar churned out a slew of fantastic pagan black metal albums that still stand the test of time: 2006's Kvass, 2008's Heimgang, and 2011's Mare.
From 2006's Kvass, this is "Ravenheart"
"Inferno" comes from their 2008 album
"Blitzwitch" is a great track from their 2011 album
In 2010, Thomas left the band, leaving Dolk as the only original member. Kampfar has soldiered on to this day, still releasing quality albums of folk-influenced and pagan black metal. They may not be a household name like Mayhem, but they're a band that has had an impact on black metal the world over.
Stockholm, Sweden's NECROPHOBIC represents an interesting conundrum in extreme metal.Having formed in 1989, they set as their goal the creation of a darker, more sinister style of death metal than existed at the time. Yet, they cited old-school black metal like Bathory as their primary influences. Furthermore, I see them on black metal playlists all the time, but they sound more death metal to me. Their guitar tone is more Sunlight Studios than Grieghallen to my ears.
This raises one of the most interesting aspects of heavy metal: the separation of bands into different genres. While some metalheads lament the drawing of lines that determine which band is or is not one particular genre or other, others go the opposite direction. I find myself in the latter category: genre distinctions are important to me. To those on the other side of this discussion, I ask you this: you're gonna tell me that Mütiilation sounds like Iron Maiden? Or that a fan of Deeds of Flesh would love The Gathering? Distinctions are important.
So what happens when the distinctions literally collapse? When you don't know where to put the line? This post is going to explore that question.
Celtic Frost: death metal? Black metal?
The line between death and black metal was originally fairly arbitrary. This is why some bands from the early days belong to both traditions: think Hellhammer/Celtic Frost. But why is Possessed associated with death metal more than black metal when they sound like a lot of bands that are labeled "black metal" from the same era (Necrodeath, Sarcofago)?
Now, the lines are clearer. No one would point to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger and call it death metal. Similarly, no one would call the latest Dying Fetus record black metal. But there have been bands that are hard to classify, and they weren't even trying to blur any lines. They were just making the music they wanted to make.
Returning to Necrophobic, what are we to make of them? Where do they fall? Their current label, Century Media, even calls them blackened death metal. Have a listen to a few songs, below:
"Before the Dawn" is from Necrophobic's 1993 debut album
"Spawned by Evil" is off of 1997's Darkside
2002's Bloodhymns is the source of "Cult of Blood"
We see why it's so tough to figure out. A few adjustments one way and you've got a Dissection b-side. A few adjustments the other way and it resembles a classic Unleashed or Dismember song.
Two other Swedish bands--GROTESQUE and UNANIMATED--also merit being part of this discussion. Where do they fall? Grotesque eventually evolved into At the Gates, the most famous melodic death metal band of all time. But there are those that call them black metal. Unanimated suffers from the same fate. Take a listen:
Grotesque's "Angels Blood" is from 1989/90
"Blackness of a Fallen Star" comes from Unanimated's 1993 album
We've got songs with blazing fast tremolo-picked riffs, but with a death metal guitar tone. We've got blasphemous lyrics. The overall song structures wouldn't be out of place on a melodic death metal or melodic black metal album. What do we call songs by bands such as these? Of course, an acknowledgement of this issue recognizes that some of the bands I've already explored could be questioned as well: is Dissection really black metal? Sacramentum?
From the opposite direction, the American band ACHERON enters the debate. Emerging as part of the Tampa, Florida, scene in the late 1980s, they are typically thought of as a death metal band. Yet, their blasphemous themes and dark aura feel almost blackened. Listen below, to "To Thee We Confess," off of their first full-length album:
Again, why stop there? What about Crucifier? Order from Chaos? At the end of the day, it's about drawing a line and sticking with it. On this side, we might find Dissection, but on the other side, we might see Necrophobic. Or perhaps not?
Select Discography:
Necrophobic:
Realm of Terror (demo) (1989)
Slow Asphyxiation (demo) (1990)
Unholy Prophecies (demo) (1991)
The Call EP (1992)
The Nocturnal Silence (full-length) (1993)
Spawned by Evil EP (1996)
Darkside (full-length) (1997)
The Third Antichrist (full-length) (1999)
Bloodhymns (full-length) (2002)
Grotesque:
Ripped from the Cross (demo) (1988)
The Black Gate is Closed (demo) (1989)
In the Embrace of Evil (demo) (1989)
Rehearsal (demo) (1989)
Incantation EP (1990)
In the Embrace of Evil (compilation) (1996)
Unanimated:
Rehearsal (demo) (1990)
Fire Storm (demo) (1991)
In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (full-length) (1993)
The story of BURZUM is well-documented, so I'm not sure how much detail to go into. I'll try to limit my discussion to the music and not focus on non-music shenanigans. Varg Vikernes (the mastermind behind Burzum) began a solo project called Kalashnikov around 1988, after he had only been playing the guitar for a couple years. Within a year or so, he changed the name to Uruk-Hai. There is debate about whether or not there are any known recordings from that time period. In later years (sometime in the later 1990s), some recordings emerged of Uruk-Hai material, but there is doubt about whether it's from 1988-89 or the early 90s.
After the early Uruk-Hai years, Vikernes joined the Norwegian death/black metal band Old Funeral. As I noted on my entry for early Norwegian black metal, this band also had (at various times) Abbath (of Immortal fame) and Jørn (of Hades fame). Varg has said his time in Old Funeral was highly educational, as he learned about the more technical aspects of music.
A classic promotional pic of Varg
After the demise of this band, Vikernes revived the project Uruk-Hai before soon changing its name to Burzum, which is the word for "darkness" in the Black Speech of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. He also started going by the stage name Count Grishnackh to further distance himself from his old ways. Burzum was more or less an old-school black metal project, but with the touch of that occultic edge that 1980s Mayhem had.
From the first untitled Burzum demo, this is "Lost Wisdom"
Vikernes put out two untitled demos in 1991 under the Burzum name. They included many songs which went on to become classics, such as "Lost Wisdom," "Spell of Destruction," "A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit," and "Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown." Many of these songs were instrumental, with no vocals. Nonetheless, they highlighted the emerging Norwegian sound. Bearing resemblance to what Mayhem had done up to this point, while maintaining some uniqueness, these Burzum tracks helped lay the template for many black metal bands to come.
This is from the 1992 self-titled album...
As is known, Burzum recorded all of what would become his classic nineties material in the span of about a year. Recorded in January of 1992, Burzum first released a self-titled album. This was put out on Euronymous's label Deathlike Silence Productions. In terms of black metal sound, the self-titled album was a continuation of the the sound pioneered on the demos, but at the same time an improvement. I think that Vikernes' vocals were more tortured, more insane-sounding than pretty much any other black metal vocalist up to that point in history. That first album is one of black metal's all-time greats. It's simple, yet raw and merciless in its effect.
Recorded as part of two different sessions in 1992, Burzum put out an EP entitled Aske (which is the Norwegian word for 'ashes') in early 1993. Also released through Deathlike Silence Productions, this is one of the few Burzum releases with another musician on it. Samoth (of Emperor) played bass on Aske because for a brief while, Varg entertained the idea of playing live. He did not hold on to that notion for long.
"Key to the Gates" is from Det Som Engang Var
Burzum's second full-length album was Det Som Engang Var. Recorded in April 1992, this album feels conceptually linked to the self- titled one. With music that still feels raw and primitive, DSEV is as good an introduction to Burzum as any. This album was released in 1993 through Varg's new label, Cymophane Records (which was a sublabel of white power label Resistance Records). It was pressed in a limited run (950 copies), so this resulted in many bootleg editions in circulation.
From Burzum's 1994 album, this is "Inn I Slottet Fra Droemmen"
Burzum's third album was recorded in the fall of 1992. It took a while for this album to get released because Varg's legal troubles began mounting. He signed the rights to his last two albums over to a third party who then founded Misanthropy Records. Once this dust settled, this album--titled Hvis lyset tar oss--was released by Misanthropy in April 1994. It felt like a departure from the previous two. Yes, the primitivism was still present, but we see a real transcendence being achieved on some of these tracks. In this way, it foreshadowed what was to come on Burzum's fourth full-length album.
My favorite Burzum song, "Darkness (Dunkelheit)"
Burzum's fourth full-length studio album--titled Filosofem--was recorded in early 1993. By his own admission, he was rebelling against the new developments in the black metal scene and this made its way into the recording sessions. He once called this album an "anti-black metal" album. But by rebelling against some of the emerging trends in the black metal scene, he merely set a new bar for black metal! The raw production, the hypnotic riffs, the droning ambient...all of these things took Burzum's black metal to another level entirely. Many say that Hviss lyset tar oss is in the running for greatest black metal album of all time, but I place Filosofem higher. It was released through Misanthropy Records in 1996, after Varg had begun serving his jail sentence for his crimes (church burning, Euronymous's murder).
And this is as good a place as any to pause the story of Burzum. As is widely known, he was able to put out two fully ambient albums while in prison (while in prison, he claimed to have sworn off guitar-based music forever), but that doesn't interest me. Perhaps I'll resume his story where it picks up when he was released from prison....? We'll see.
This song was recorded during the Hvis lyset tar oss sessions but never made it to album
The Netherlands may not churn out black metal bands like Norway or Sweden, but when a Dutch band makes an impact, you better believe it's truly awe-inspiring. Of all of the Dutch bands covered so far and all of the Dutch bands to be covered, North Holland's UNLORD is my favorite.
Unlord are another example of a band that formed pretty early but didn't make an impact until later. In fact, there is debate about Unlord's existence and demo output in the early 1990s. While it is confirmed that members of several Dutch death metal bands (such as Nembrionic and Consolation) set those projects to the side to form Unlord, questions remain: did Unlord only produce some early 1990s demos that never saw the light of day because they were only intended to help band members learn songs? Or, as some claim, was the Dutch band BLACK METAL an early incarnation of Unlord, and their 1991 demo Pentagram an example of the early evolution of Unlord's sound?
Here is Black Metal's Pentagram demo from 1991
Black Metal's sound is clearly rooted in black/thrash and grindcore, and Unlord is known for their raw, scorching fast sound, and both bands share at least one member in common that we know of--so the rumor of the connection is not as outlandish as it seems. Regardless, the only material we have to this day with the name 'Unlord' on it is their three albums released in the late nineties and beyond.
Unlord first revealed themselves to the world under their own name with 1997's Schwarzwald. A blazing fast album of no-holds-barred black metal, it is truly an unsung masterpiece of the late 1990s. Band members have said that in addition to old-school bands like Venom and Bathory, more recent bands like Emperor, Marduk, and Immortal helped influence their sound. I think the speed and technicality of Schwarzwald bear that out.
"Uprising Hordes" is from Unlord's first album
From 1999's Gladiator, this is "Hell's Gates Are Opened"
With the follow-up album (1999's Gladiator), there was (even by the band's own admission) a step up in terms of technicality and sophistication. The focus was no longer just on speed-for-speed's-sake, but on speed in conjunction with new rhythms and structures. That said, the song I have chosen from Gladiator ("Hell's Gates Are Opened," above) is not the best illustration of that! By the time of the recording of Gladiator, Unlord had shrunk from a sextet to a trio. This streamlined version of the band continued on to the recording of what would be their final album, 2002's Lord of Beneath.
"Angel of Fire" is from their last album
In 2003, the band called it a day. The band members acknowledged that their differing musical interests had proved insurmountable. Interest in the band never waned, however, and their albums have been reissued several times, including notably by Hell's Headbanger Records. This continued interest led to the band to decide to re-form in the 2020s. We'll see what the future holds!
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