Stormlord

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"

Select Discography:

Demo 1992 (demo) (1992)

Black Knight (demo) (1993)

Cataclysm (demo) (1995)

Promo 1997 (demo) (1997)

Under the Sign of the Sword EP (1997)

Supreme Art of War (full-length) (1999)

At the Gates of Utopia (full-length) (2001)

The Gorgon Cult (full-length) (2004)

Mare Nostrum (full-length) (2008)

Next time: TULUS