Belphegor

 

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

Select Discography:

Bloodbath in Paradise (demo) (1993)

Obscure and Deep EP (1994)

The Last Supper (full-length)  (1995)

Blutsabbath (full-length) (1997)

Necrodaemon Terrorsathan (full-length) (2000)

Lucifer Incestus (full-length) (2003)

Goatreich - Fleshcult (full-length)  (2005)

Pestapokalypse VI (full-length) (2006)

Bondage Goat Zombie (full-length) (2008)

Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn (full-length)  (2009)

Next time: ABIGAIL