Hades

 

Formed by Jørn after his time in Old Funeral, Hades was perhaps one of the most important innovators of viking metal (after Enslaved) in the '90s. Hailing from Bergen, Jørn was joined by Remi at the band's formation in late 1991/early 1992.

Picking up Janto and Nagel to round out the band, Hades put out their now-famous demo, Alone Walkyng, in 1993. Focusing on atmosphere over speed, the clear influence of Bathory's viking period can be heard. According to Jørn, they wanted to make music inspired by their ancestors. Alone Walkyng ranks as a classic demo in Norwegian black metal. 

Here is the complete demo

The demo made quite a splash in the black metal world because of how different it sounded from the then-typical Norwegian sound. The band was courted by several labels, eventually signing with the just-formed Full Moon Productions. They then entered the studio to record their debut full-length album. The resulting album, ...Again Shall Be, stands out from the pack of 1994's Norwegian black metal because of its glorious mid-paced, epic songs. 

"Hecate (Queen of Flames)" is from their debut

Unfortunately, Jørn's non-musical activities began to impact the band. He had been involved with Varg Vikernes in church burnings, and the authorities caught up to him in late '93. He was convicted and sent to prison in early 1995. This obviously had an impact on the band's ability to continue their music-making activities.

Luckily, he and Hades were still able to collaborate in the writing of the next album. The album was recorded in 1996, and in 1997, Dawn of a Dying Sun was released. This album was in the vein of their debut, but the song writing was stronger. ...Again Shall Be was a fantastic album of second-wave Norwegian viking metal, but Dawn was a masterpiece.

"Awakening of Kings" comes from Hades's 1997 album

A mix of ripping black metal riffs and Hammerheart-inspired song structures, Dawn of a Dying Sun belongs in the collection of any black metal fan, right next to Enslaved's 90s work and Bathory's viking metal trilogy. Listen to "Awakening of Kings", above, to hear how the album deftly combines black metal that easily holds its own with the Norwegian classics and epic viking metal passages. Truly brilliant. 

Around this time, the American thrash band Hades became aware of the existence of Norway's Hades. For copyright reasons, they demanded a name change. The result was that Jørn and company became Hades Almighty. At the same time,  they also began exploring new ways to expand their black metal sound.  The resulting album, 1999's Millenium Nocturne, is a great progressive approach to black metal for the 21st century. 

"Warcry" is an awesome song from 1999's Millenium Nocturne

Since that change, the band has not been extremely prolific-- one full-length album (2001's Pulse of Decay) and an EP (2015's Pyre Era, Black!). So, we hold our breath awaiting a new release from these viking metal pioneers.

Here is the title track to their 2015 EP

Select Discography: 

Alone Walkyng (demo) (1993)

...Again Shall Be (full-length)  (1994)

The Dawn of the Dying Sun (full-length)  (1997)

(as Hades Almighty) Millenium Nocturne (full-length)  (1999)

(as Hades Almighty) The Pulse of Decay (full-length)  (2001)

(as Hades Almighty) Pyre Era, Black! EP (2015)

Next time: INFERNUM

Gorgoroth

 

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, Under the 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)

Next time: AVENGER

Burzum

 

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

Select Discography:

Demo I (1991)

Demo II (1991)

Burzum (demo) (1991)

Burzum (full-length) (1992)

Aske EP (1993)

Det som engang var (full-length) (1993)

Hvis lyset tar oss (full-length) (1994)

Filosofem (full-length) (1996)

Next time: NECROPHOBIC